Eventually
by August1
Summary: “The One with the Ayudian Circle shall bear the new fear. The Defiant One will challenge the shadow, but victory will not be without sacrifice of the most sacred kind.” Many unexpected twists: Full summary inside. READ THE AN.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Eventually

Summary: A student with a horrific past comes to Hogwarts. A Slytherin like none have seen, she is mysterious, feisty, and fair. Through eager friendships, an unlikely alliance is formed. Will the need to uncover the enigma be enough to unite the most opposite of people?

Rating: R for language, rape, and eventual sex.

**A/N: When I began this, my first fic, I had a vague idea of the plot line. Now that, nearly two years later, I have solidified both it and my writing, I ask that you give it a try. Lorelai is a new character, but she is not a Mary Sue. The Draco/Ginny action does not begin until chapter 6. And the writing is pretty much crap compared to what my skills are now. The new chapter is Chapter 10, so if you find yourself at all interested in the storyline, please wait until then to make your decision. Of course, that decision lies with you.**

**I would go back and redo chapters 1-9, but I am lazy and too excited about finally having the muse to update, and frequently, to revise it.**

Chapter 1

Lorelai Jacynda Green now stood in the Great Hall. She never was very comfortable in crowds, and it was perfectly embarrassing to be grouped in with a cluster of first years. But, as a transfer student, she had to be sorted into her house. She felt particularly conspicuous, for not only was she a full head taller than the students she stood with, but she had unfortunately been late, and hadn't had time to change out of her Muggle clothes; an orange and gray top, blue jeans, and orange shoes that matched with her light red and green hair. She should have listened to that Granger girl on the Hogwarts Express and changed while on the train. Lorelai willed her cheeks to stay their pale color as she could sense the stares of the students already seated at their respective tables. There was a hushed whisper as the secret of her origin was being spread, no doubt by that meddling Granger; that not only was she a Mudblood, but she was an American as well. To veil her discomfort, she focused her green eyes on the sorting hat.

Her mind was whirling with everything she needed to remember; she needed to try really, really hard to fit in, she needed to become friends with as many people as she could, she needed to try to respect her teachers, but most importantly, she had to hide everything she was.

No one could find out her true lineage! No one knew, except Dumbledore, from when she wrote him, and Severus Snape, and her previous situation with Snape certainly needed to be masked. She risked a look behind her at the Gryffindor table. She locked eyes with Granger, who gave her a sympathetic smile_. Maybe I should give her a chance, _Lorelai thought. She managed a small smile back, and noticed who was seated across from Granger; the famous Harry Potter! It seemed he was looking right through her, and she began to blush furiously and she turned away from Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the boy she needed to protect.

As the head of Gryffindor, Professor....uh....McGonagall?, began calling out names for the sorting hat, Lorelai let her mind go for a jog. She contemplated the previous summer; falling in love with a man twice her age, 16, and not having a care about it. However, that relationship ended when her father tried to assassinate the "lech" by using Lorelai, his daughter.

To everyone else at Hogwarts, Lorelai Green was a Muggle, a Mudblood, someone of no significance.

But Dumbledore and Snape knew the truth. Her father was a very powerful wizard; there were only 5 or so wizards that could challenge him, and they would never do so. Her parents were never married...her mother was a one night stand to her father. Father pretty much stayed out of the picture until this last year, and in one year, Lorelai had experienced a thousand deaths, each more painful than the last. She shuddered as the memory of the last punishment ran through her, and she had to bite back a yelp. She came back to reality when a blonde, cherubic first year tapped her on the shoulder.

"Um, excuse me, but would you like to borrow my cloak?" He offered with a smile. Lorelai opened her mouth to reply, but a shrill, "Lorelai Green!" interrupted as she was summoned to the sorting hat. She quickly smiled and shook her head. She could feel every pair of eyes on her as she sat on the worn stool, as was custom. The sorting hat was placed firmly on her head. The hat wriggled around for a moment, trying to make itself comfortable, and the students, even Lorelai, laughed. Suddenly, it stilled, and the strangest sensation overtook her. It was as if her memory was being examined, like when her father would deactivate the mind-block she'd set when she tried to hide something from him. Well, as long as it could read her mind, she may as well do her best to communicate with it; after all, who could you trust, if not a sorting hat?

"_Please, please don't put me in Gryffindor..." _She thought. She released her thoughts, her reasons to him, told him of her need to look after Harry Potter, and her inability to do so in Gryffindor. The hat trembled when it uncovered her mystery, the one she would die to protect.

"Very well," it began. "Your past may be darkened, and your future therein, but your courageous and clever heart could do much good in Slytherin!" The hat had made its final pronunciation.

Lorelai decided that though she'd rather be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, she'd take what she got.

As she made her way to the Slytherin table, she noticed that none of her housemates were clapping. In fact, the few who weren't staring with mouths wide open were making vicious comments. On her way to seat, she heard murmurs of, "Muggle" and "Mudblood." She sat down, and placed her head in her arms, thinking if she did so, she might disappear. Come to think of it, she probably could disappear, but that might cause a disruption.

As could the information that she could wipe out the entire house, if she so chose.

With that thought in place, she lifted her head, a half-smile on her face. Looking directly across from her, her hope of a smile diminished as she met with the piercing grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

Draco looked the Mudblood over. She was a cute girl, though he would never admit to thinking so. In fact, if he were forced to take a veritaserum and he was asked that particular question, he might kill himself to keep the truth a secret. He breathed in her exterior hungrily, and the infamous Malfoy smirk that drove the ladies crazy (as proved by many late-night excursions with eager girls in Astronomy Tower), materialized. From her muggle tennis shoes to her multihued hair, and down to her coal-rimmed emerald eyes, he stared. He let his forceful gaze linger on her dampened lips for longer than necessary, and then expanded his smirk into a full smile, a rarity. He couldn't help it, though, when he detected a delicious burn in her cheeks. Still, the Muggle still held his gaze, determination glowing bright.

_Ugh! _Lorelai thought. This idiot was infuriating! Lorelai was very aware of his stare that jumped between her eyes and modest breasts. She was just as aware that the rest of the Slytherin house had their eyes on her and Draco. Finally, she decided that she had endured this absurdity for long enough. Severus Snape, who had been intently watching the exchange, held his breath as she leveled her stare with Malfoy's. Every fiber of Snape's being was ready for the inevitable swapping of words that was about to commence, ready to stand up and physically defend Malfoy, if needed.

"What is your problem?!" Lorelai burst out in an annoyed tone. Draco was amused that she had the nerve to speak up first.

"Oh, you'll have to excuse me; I believe that this is the first time in Hogwarts history that a Mudblood was sorted into Slytherin. I'm merely curious! Tell me; is everyone in America languid, or is the sluggishness distinctive to only you?"

To his surprise, Lorelai jumped up from her bench, and Draco was conscious of the immediate silence in the Great Hall. Even the professors were closely watching, and Professor Snape looked...apprehensive? Draco cocked an eyebrow and made a mental note to ask him about that. Lorelai stretched to her full height of 5'6" and leaned over the table, giving Draco a suggestion of a view down her shirt. She fabricated the sweetest smile she could manage, and let him have it.

"Look, munchkin, you may be the same year as me, and you may be a Malfoy, but let me tell you something. I don't care who your father is or that I'm American. The truth is, wand or no, I can still kick your ass," there was an audible gasp at this from the students, and she leaned over farther so she could reach his ear, "_so watch yourself!_" She hissed this last part quietly, burning Draco's eyes with her own. Leaving him blinking and speechless, she turned and sauntered casually out of the Great Hall.

Sir Nicholas tipped his head at her on her way out, but other than that, there was no movement. The entire student body was quiet for a full sixty seconds, and then fell back into excited chatter. Blaise Zabini traced an imaginary line down Draco's face with a blood-red talon, and exclaimed, "Well, I'm impressed! I do believe that that's the first time in your life that anyone's left you speechless!" and she cackled mercilessly. Pansy Parkinson, his wannabe girlfriend, came over and clung to his arm, offering her "services" to make him feel better.

"Parkinson, I do believe I will accept. I have something to attend to, however. Meet me in the common room 30 minutes after dinner." She nodded.

And in the midst of this, no one noticed Snape breathe a sigh of relief or slip out of the door in the direction of Miss Lorelai Green.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Oh. My. Word!" Hermione Granger kept shaking her head. Ron Weasley sat to her left, and had yet to pick his jaw up off of the floor. Harry Potter was seated across from Hermione, Ron's sister, Ginny was next to Harry. Harry resolved himself to questioning the obvious, as per usual.

"Who-who was that girl? And why did Malfoy even bother with her?" Hermione rolled her eyes at the question and replied sharply.

"Why does Malfoy bother with anyone? He's miserable and evil. And about Lorelai; weren't you listening to anything that Mrs. Weasley said?"

"Well, yes," said Harry, frowning from the obvious chastising by Hermione, "but I don't recall her mentioning anything about a feisty redhead Muggle who would openly threaten one of the Malfoy's!" he replied, near exasperation.

"Fair enough," Hermione conceded. "That was Lorelai Green. Her mother is American, and no one really knows who her father is, but to everyone's knowledge, he is a Muggle like her mother. She is 16 and a sixth year, and from what I've researched, it's very puzzling as to why she's a Slytherin, of all things..."

"Yes, Mum said she expected her to be a Gryffindor!" Ginny interjected.

"Anyway..." Hermione drew out the word pointedly.

"Sorry!" Ginny squeaked.

"Quite alright. Lorelai has extraordinary talents. From my research, it seems that she's telling the truth when she suggested that she could kick Malfoy's arse. But because both of her parents are Muggles, no one knows where her powers derive from." She slumped, out of breath and obviously satisfied with herself.

"So the mystery, 'Mione, lies solely in the source of her powers?" Harry concluded.

"And in her attitude! I want to learn how to swing my hips like that when I leave a room!" Ginny giggled when her brother groaned at her statement. Ron shook his head and grabbed a chicken leg out of the bowl in front of him.

Severus Snape ran through everything he could possibly say to her while charging forth to the Slytherin common room. "_Hello, Lorelai, don't forget that as far as everyone is concerned, we've never met_." Or how about, "_Don't look at me because I'm not quite sure that you aren't evil, even though you saved my life!"_ Or even, _"I'm glad you took out your nose ring; it looked atrocious!"_ He shook that thought out of his head as if shaking hair out of his eyes and burst into the common room after muttering the password at the door. He didn't have to search for her; aside from her, the room was empty.

She was sitting in a chair by the fire in the dimly lit room, shrouded in the black cloak she must have thrown on upon arriving. Her right elbow was positioned on the armrest, allowing the height for her right hand to prop up her head. The shadows skipped along her prominent, feminine features. Snape gathered himself and said commandingly, as if even to convince himself,

"Lorelai, what are you doing? You're lucky that no one else knew what you whispered into Malfoy's ear! For the low profile that you are trying to keep, you are making it difficult on yourself! How could you risk speaking to him in _Parsel-tongue_, of all things!"

Lorelai glanced up and asked casually, "How did _you_ know what I said?"

"I had to throw an eavesdropping spell when you whispered in his ear. You have no idea what you might have unleashed! You're lucky this room is empty, because the verbal lashing you are about to receive..." He trailed off as he noticed that she lazily looked over at him and gave him a genuine smile.

"Now, Severus, don't worry. I'm not going to be out of line. You should know by now that I don't make rash decisions! I'm not going to hurt anyone, least of all Draco. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Besides, if anyone knew I could really kick his ass, it might cause problems. But I do apologize, there's so much to get used to, here. I'll just watch what I say. No worries," she repeated.

"Miss Green," he began, emphasizing the formality, "From now on, you will address me as Professor Snape. I will not tolerate anything less. Even if we, erm, 'worked' together this summer, school is beginning now. You will treat me with the same respect as commanded from everyone else, and I will not hesitate to discipline you should you fall foul of that expectation." Lorelai lowered her eyes as he reprimanded her, and crossed her arms in front of her chest, visibly hurt.

"Very well, Professor. Please accept my apologies for my disrespect. Good evening." She turned and all but ran up the stairs to her dormitory and her comforting single room, a luxury for sixth and seventh years. Snape remained near the fireplace until its warmth reminded him that it would be beneficial to leave and prepare for classes in the morning.

Neither one noticed the silver eyes that had drawn in the entire scene. Draco Malfoy stepped out from behind the Grecian column opposite the fireplace.

Well, this was certainly interesting. He felt a chill as he remembered what she whispered in his ear...he heard, "watch yourself," or maybe that's just what he understood. Because if he wasn't mistaken, she had hissed those two words...in _parsel-tongue!_ He remembered the burning in his eyes as well. This girl was not the ordinary Mud-blood. Perhaps Snape could answer his questions, since he seemed to know her oh-so-well.

Draco snickered to himself. As infuriating as this girl was sure to prove to be, it would at least be fun to find out her history, to know what about her made Snape cringe. Or if nothing else, she was a challenge. It might be fun to make the 'poor girl' fall in love with him and then break her little heart. It had been too long since he'd seriously manipulated anyone. And Father would be proud! He shook his head. No, that was amateur.

"_But don't you think you may be underestimating her? She left you speechless! You're just upset with her because she is the only person to successfully humiliate you in front of the entire school!" _Draco stopped in his thought process. A slow grin spread across his face and he scoffed at his conscience.

"_No," _he countered. "_I think that as soon as I know what's happened between her and Snape, I'll be able to exact ample revenge!"_ Suddenly, the glint of hurt in her eyes at the uttering of "Mud-blood!" was brought back to his memory, and he suffered a twinge of...guilt? _I really need to get over this conscience thing. It's slowing me down. _ But what was really bothering him went far beyond the humiliation in the Great Hall. That burning...she seemed to look straight through at the person that he wanted to be, but had no idea of how to reach. He was sure that she may have seen the pressure he suffered constantly, and the personality he wore just because he didn't know how else to be...and the fact that he liked being the "bad-boy," because he had respect from others.

His thoughts were interrupted as Pansy came by his side. She grabbed his arm, and he turned around and looked at her, glimpsed the desire in her eyes, and gruffly said, "Lets go, then."

He thoughtfully made his way to his room with Pansy and slammed the door.

**a/n: sorry this one is so short! I'm working on chapter 3...please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She made her way to her room, and was surprised to find her suitcases not only carried up, but her clothes were unpacked, and her bed was made up with the She-Ra bed sheets that she still held onto from the 80's. She flopped on her bed, glad for the privacy, and glad that she didn't have to answer to anybody until the morning. She turned around so that her stomach was down, and she hugged her pillow. Suddenly, without warning, a scream erupted from her mouth, and she muffled it with her pillow. Then she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stomped around rapidly.

"Ugh! Of all the nerve! That spineless, insufferable, asinine- why, by just insinuating that _I'm_ lazy! And Professor Snape! Suggesting that I'm going to-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I wish that they would all sod off!" She completed her rant with a phrase she learned in London this past summer. She didn't notice the slippers that had been laid out near her bed, and caught her foot on one of them. Her body jumped up, did a double axle in the air, and flew down. She landed hard on the floor. She looked around blankly, not seeing anything, but fully realizing that her world was out of order, and she did something that she couldn't remember doing for years; Lorelai Green burst into tears.

And this is where Millicent found her a moment later. She had been tending to a chipped nail and had spilled her open nail polish remover when she heard the thump from next door. "What are you doing?" she asked, bored. She began tapping her foot, and got disgusted when she received no response except Lorelai's sobs. She turned around and slammed the door.

_She knelt in the castle, bound by the spell he had to cast in order to keep her still. "Tell me," he ordered._

_"Tell me why you felt the tremendous need to disobey!" He circled her, his black Death Eater robe swishing with the severity of his turns. "Why was it so easy for you to decide to forfeit your life FOR A TRAITOR?" His voice calmed and his frown turned into a sneer. "Do you think he loves you? Or did you merely think that I wouldn't find out?"_

_She only shook her head, determined not to cry. He muttered a spell, and her knees received a terrifying amount of pain. "Did you like that, **daughter of mine**?" She only stared behind him. The only light in the room came from the fire, and the flames cast shadows about the room, making it seem to crawl._

_She lifted her head and spoke. "You know that he wouldn't have died anyway. He was too greatly protected- "she was cut off with the contact of her father's backhand against her face. Her head snapped back, blood spraying behind her from her broken nose and busted mouth. "Did I say you could speak? Or did you just now decide that you would answer my previous question? Let me explain something to you now, darling daughter," he paused to bring his heel down in the small of her back, forcing her body to slam down to the stone floor, and she howled in pain. "You belong to me, and YOU DO NOT DEFY ME!"_

_Suddenly her bindings were gone and she could move freely, if she could pick herself up off of the floor. "Now stand up, **sweetheart**, because we have a special visitor who is going to witness a great act of loyalty." Her eyes flew open, full of understanding and she opened her bloody mouth to protest when the visitor came into the light and held up a finger. "Silence!" She turned and looked at her father. His lips spread back into an evil grin and welcomed the guest._

Lorelai awoke with a shudder. One of her arms felt cramped, and the other one...She couldn't feel her other arm! She began to panic until she realized that her right arm was pinned beneath her body and the floor, asleep. She lifted her head, only to scream, "Ouch!" when she had to rip her face from the wooden floor; she'd been stuck from the tears when she cried herself to sleep. How long have I been sleeping here? she wondered.

She shivered as she sat up. It was then that she noticed someone else had been in the room. Well, other than that annoying brat, Millicent. She shivered again, following the cold draft back to its source, the open window. "Luminos," she whispered, favoring the Old Latin version of the spell. Instantly her room was lit, and she couldn't shake the feeling that someone had disrupted her room. Scared, she walked backwards until she ran into her bed, and fell back on it, using her hands to break her fall. "OUCH!" she screamed for the second time that night. It felt like a needle had gone through her left hand, and she yanked it up. A thorn had viciously stabbed her, still attached to the stem of a beautiful white rose. Wait a minute, a rose?" She stifled a third scream as she pulled the thorn out of her hand. She began to bleed, but barely noticed it in her search for the source of the rose. She found what she was looking for, and tears coiled as she read the note, ready to be released.

_I may have forgotten to mention it when I was lecturing you earlier, but, if you like, you may either summon a house-elf for food, or make your way to the kitchen. The house-elves will serve you there as well. Please accept this rose as an apology for unnecessary severity, and I will see you in class tomorrow morning._

_S. Snape._

Weird. Lorelai looked for the clock in her room, because if her assumptions were correct, it was already tomorrow morning. She changed out of her dirty clothes and into a cute pajama set. She sighed, and decided to go for the kitchen with a good book. She wasn't going to sleep again tonight. She was too afraid to.

On the other side of Slytherin, Draco rolled listlessly in and out of useless dozing. He had thrown off his black sheets many times, only to draw them back to his body when he became cold. It had been a while since he'd had these hot and cold flashes. _Thank God I sent Pansy out right away_, he thought. He couldn't have handled her incessant questions right now. He'd fallen asleep with the lights on, and he now looked at the clock; 11:52pm. Could it possibly be that early, still? He groaned and stretched, deciding that he was done with trying to sleep, and swung his black silk pajama bottom-covered legs over the side of the bed, and grabbed his robe as he left the room.

Nearing the kitchen, he heard two very loud female voices whose high-pitched giggling made him grimace. He contemplated turning around, but went against it.

The new Mudblood sat at one of the eight round tables in the kitchen laughing at something Hermione Granger just said. "You should have seen the look on his face when Harry practically vomited the snitch out of his mouth! He couldn't bloody believe it!" That set off another round of laughter. "Oh, look here!" Lorelai pointed at an article in the Muggle magazine that Hermione had brought with her, unable to sleep as well. "' I Sleep With Your Boyfriend?'" Where do they come up with this stuff? I'd be all, No you didn't, bitch!" Hermione started to laugh but grew very quiet, very fast.

"I'm certain you would, Mudblood, if you could find someone who could stand your repulsiveness long enough to date you!" Draco drawled. "You are a disgrace to the name of Slytherin. Socializing with a Gryffindor!" She turned around sharply to face him, and his appearance nearly knocked her off of her chair. With his hair disheveled, tousled so it hung in his eyes, he looked almost vulnerable. His green robe was cinched at the waist, but not so tight that she couldn't see the hardness of his chest due to years of Quidditch. He wore black pajama pants, and Lorelai would almost bet her life that they were silk.

"Oh, my goodness. Hermione, do you know where Colin is? Because I do believe this is the only time anyone will ever see Draco Malfoy pour his own coffee!" He turned and raised his eyebrows, bored.

"Yes, Granger, please go get Potty's lover, because with you gone, I might be able to keep my appetite!" Hermione's chin began to tremble, and she started to get up. Lorelai pulled her back down. "No way, Hermione. Don't let this ignorant idiot force you out of somewhere you have every right to be." She glared at Draco, and turned her back to him.

"Wow, I am shocked, Miss Green, that you have a vocabulary consisting of words longer than four or five letters," he retorted.

"Don't give me a lesson in morality, Draco. I'm not the one who goes pushing people around just to feel like I have a hold on my life." She spoke without even looking at him, and once again she had him speechless, but only for a moment.

"You know nothing," he threw at her. He waited for a response. There was none. Not even a change in posture. The bitch was ignoring him! No matter; he'd study her instead, look for a weakness. Something, anything to use to make her cry. She just laughed and shook her head. "Look, Hermione! 'How To Analyze A Man By What He Wears To Bed.'" Hermione shrieked with excitement. The two put their heads together, whispering about things that were no doubt foolish and lacking importance.  
  
Draco grabbed a newspaper and opted for the table diagonal from them. The kitchen was chilly, but he barely noticed his shivering. He would not allow himself to be cold. Not when the mudbloods were near the fire. He simply couldn't fathom it. The Granger girl, normally reserved, was animated and excited. And if Green had this effect on someone he assumed to be frigid and one-dimensional, he knew he was in for a sickening year.

He tried to read the paper, but concentrating was damn near impossible. The table he chose offered him a good view of first mudblood in Slytherin. She had thrown her hair up on top of her head in a haphazard, serf-like ponytail. He could tell she'd been crying; her eye makeup was smeared. He smirked. So the new girl was homesick, eh? She should have cleaned her face. He sniffed and perused her unsophisticated Muggle clothing. Her pajamas were girly; a light pink spaghetti strap top with a dark pink strawberry on it coupled with light pink bottoms dotted with tiny strawberries. On her feet sat pink fuzzy slippers. Draco shifted uncomfortably. She was attractive... in a messy, servant way. Not super- slender, but curvy. Only a slight muscle tone in her arms. One of those thin straps was falling off of one pale, smooth shoulder and she lifted her cup of coffee to her mouth. He unconsciously licked his lips and his eyes narrowed with constraint. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and he tried a new approach.

"I never figured you for the slutty type," he began, "you're practically undressed. Absolutely classless," he finished. The insult was weak, and he knew it. It seemed she would ignore him again, until she locked her eyes with his and smiled.

"Get over yourself, Draco. It's too late for me to refute petty affronts. If you were smart, you'd come over here and sit with us like you know you want to." He balked. The very idea made him nauseated. "Otherwise, sulk over there, but shut up, for heaven's sake! Your childish insecurities are rapidly pissing me off. You sit over there, pretending like you don't care what anyone thinks, yet you're killing yourself over what we may be talking about."

He opened his mouth to say that he would rather die than sit with Mud-Bloods, but thought better of it and with a sigh, he conceded. He sat, and Lorelai nudged Hermione, who asked devilishly, "Now, Malfoy, would you like to know what your choice of bed wear says about you?" The girls laughed, and he gave an audible groan. He rolled his eyes.

"I changed my mind. You are ridiculous. You both understand that I'll deny this little rendezvous to my death and accredit it to temporary insanity." It wasn't a question. He stood, and without a second glance, stalked out of the kitchen.

Lorelai just looked at his retreating figure and said to herself, "There's hope for you yet."


	4. Chapter 4

Lorelai yawned as she made her way to the last class of her day, Advanced Potions. As far as she knew, only three sixth years had the privilege of taking it, but as of yet, she only knew of her own admittance in that class. She reached the large door leading to the Potions classroom, at least 10 minutes early for class. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the stone room. Luckily, Snape hadn't arrived yet, so she could avoid an awkward confrontation. She smiled, remembering the rose from the night before. Well, it was a nice gesture. Although, the Snape that existed when they first met would never have done something so thoughtful. She could she that one other person had arrived; and that person belonged to a head of white-blonde, slicked-back hair. Draco was sitting up front, rigidly straight, eyes closed. She wandered toward him, slightly irritated, but also willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Because they were both in Slytherin, they saw one another in all of their classes. In first period Transfiguration this morning, she had offered a warm greeting, and he hadn't said a word to her; he had turned his back to her and whispered something in Pansy's ear that made the latter blush like mad. In second period Herbology, Lorelai had hoped that Draco would stop being a prat, but no such luck. And at lunch, she sat at the end of the table, quite by herself, which was alright with her. She and Hermione had taken turns making faces at one another throughout the period!

She reached him. "Hey, Draco." He turned toward her blankly, and she smiled at him warmly. "How has your day been?"

He raised an eyebrow and said nothing, his expression clearly showing disinterest. She sighed and tried one more time.

"I'm a little tired today from being up so late last night. How are you doing?"

"Let me ask you a question," he replied.

"Shoot." Lorelai waited.

"Are you stupid, or just desperate? I thought I'd made it clear throughout the day that I don't wish to speak to you. In fact, nothing would disgust me more." That should get through to her, he thought, sitting nonchalantly back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head.

She set her jaw. "Excuse me?" she asked through clenched teeth. Students were now filing in. Draco narrowed his eyes and leaned forward.

"You disgust me, Mud-blood!" He said this slowly, exaggerating the words as though she could not understand simple English. "I'm ashamed to be in the same house as you. Now, bugger off!" She bit her lip and he took pleasure in that small demonstration of her hurt. But whatever hurt he saw there was quickly replaced by fire as she pointedly slammed her books down at the empty seat next to him, and defiantly sat.

Draco opened his mouth to protest when Harry Potter walked in, obviously the third sixth year in the class, followed closely by Snape.

"Potter, there's an empty seat next to Miss Green. Sit before I take points for stupidity." Potter clenched his jaw but sat, and Snape turned to address the rest of the class. "I hope you chose your seats wisely, because this will be your seating arrangement for the year!"

Draco groaned, and Lorelai smiled triumphantly. To her surprise, Harry Potter nudged her with his elbow, and she turned to him. When their eyes met, she suffered a terrible pang of pain in her head. She ignored the throb and asked Harry what was up.

Snape had been rifling through the stack of material he brought into the room, and realized that he'd forgotten something quite important. He told the students to behave themselves as he went to his personal chambers to retrieve the lesson plan. Harry saw his opportunity to speak freely and jumped at it.

"Well, I just thought I should apologize...you see, I thought wrongly of you merely because you're in Slytherin, and it was wrong of me to prejudge."

"Well, isn't that sweet," Draco muttered, and neither Harry nor Lorelai paid him any mind. Lorelai waved off Harry's apology with a quiet chuckle.

"Did you talk to Hermione?" Harry nodded guiltily. "Don't worry about it, hun, it's no biggie. Hermione is a fun girl, and if she wants to defend me, that's fantastic! Just know that I would do the same for her."

Snape returned then, and Harry and Lorelai turned their volume down.

It was then that she noticed the severity of the green color of Harry's eyes, and she bit down hard on her lip as another shot of pain ran through her temples. A show of concern ran through those eyes, and Harry whispered, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it, I get these headaches all of the time." Draco had been taking an interest in the conversation, and admitted that he had to respect a girl who hid her pain. But his mouth nearly dropped in horror when he heard Lorelai unabashedly tell Harry, "You know, you have really pretty eyes!" Harry blushed.

"Oh, Harry, think nothing of it," she continued. "I'm very blunt. And I appreciate that you are willing to trust me a little. You know, some people will let their ego rule over their common sense!" Draco heard this comment, and knew that she was referring to him. While he knew it was true, it bothered him that she would pick up on that. Instead, he snorted, and caught Snape's attention.

"Mr. Malfoy," he began in a foreboding tone of voice. "Would you care to explain to the class the problem you are having over there?" Lorelai jumped in for Malfoy and smiled brightly.

"There isn't a problem, Professor!" Draco felt relieved and Snape cocked an eyebrow as she continued, "I was just telling Draco to go fuck himself."

The seventh years guffawed, and on her other side, Harry couldn't stifle his laugh. "Miss Green, see me after class," Snape commanded. "I would think that a young lady of your intelligence would be able to use more tasteful language. But since you are new this year, I will not take any points from Slytherin, this time." The seventh years from the houses other than Slytherin groaned at this unfair display of favor.

Draco sat back, and was stoically silent for the rest of the class period. He quietly reflected on the days' events. It was no secret that he was a proud individual. Didn't the idiot understand that he couldn't talk to her? He had enjoyed himself in the kitchen the night before, watching she and Granger interact. It was fascinating to him that someone could be so natural and without airs as to interact with someone who was of another house, the rival house. He was even a little...envious, maybe. Though she didn't seem to care too much about the importance placed on the rivalry or the danger, yes, the danger she put herself in by being friendly with a Mud-blood Gryffindor.

Not that he cared. .

And he had enjoyed watching her squirm all day, trying to come up with conversation. He was downright rude to her, and still she persisted.

He smiled inwardly at the thought of what she had said to Snape. The girl had guts, and had no qualms about what came out of her mouth. But as nonchalant as her conversations seemed to be, she was always careful to think about what she said before she said it. But she seemed to react to her anger more quickly than anything else. She did not exhibit much control in that area, which could be useful later.

He glanced at Potter. The poor sap was stealing looks at her, blushing furiously as he responded to one of her notes. Suddenly and without warning, Draco became filled with an unexplainable rage! How dare she consort with the enemy? She's a Slytherin! She may be a Mud-blood, but a Slytherin nonetheless, and Slytherins do NOT take kindly to one of their own being as disloyal as to openly be friendly, no: FLIRT with Potter and insult Draco Malfoy in the same breath! She would be punished, he decided.

He looked again at Lorelai, her head bent down; furiously scribbling notes that Snape was dictating. He watched as she looked up and smiled as Harry passed her a piece of parchment. Draco scoffed at the childish display, but couldn't ignore that her smile always reached her eyes. Draco wondered what that would be like, but to his relief, Snape ended his lecture and dismissed the students.

Draco prepared to leave, and turned to follow the aisle out to the door. He started but was momentarily stalled when a hand pressed hard against his muscular chest. He looked down as the owner of that hand said, "Draco, wait!"

He found himself making severe eye contact with the blend of emerald and gold that belonged to Lorelai. He sneered and picked up her forefinger between his thumb and middle finger, and, noting the bitten fingernails, he flung it away from him and brushed off his chest as if contaminated by her touch. "What do you want, Mud-blood?" his voice was hard. She ignored the insult and handed him the parchment that was handed to her by Harry. "This is for you. And Draco," He sighed impatiently but allowed her to finish. "I'm sorry if what I said in class today may have upset you. Even if you were being a prick, well, let's just say that I don't know you well enough to judge why you act the way you do." She paused, and he pushed forward, but her insistent hand stopped him again.

"I think we have a lot more in common than you would think," she whispered. He scoffed at her apology. "Really," Draco said sarcastically. "Unlike you, I have a right to be here. How would we have anything in common?" She shook her head, thwarted for a moment.

Then she lifted her head. "Well, for starters, we both like coffee!" She chuckled softly, and it was a pleasant sound. "Anyway, Draco, have a good afternoon." He definitely wasn't expecting that. He shoved past her, and continued on his way to Quidditch practice.

Practice had not gone well. His head was somewhere else, well, more specifically on Green's apology. How could she think that what she said would affect him? Because it does, his mind answered. Afterwards, on his way back from the field, he literally ran into Ginny Weasley, who was apparently doing a piece with all of the Quidditch captains for the newspaper. She smirked smugly, hands on her hips. "What's the matter, Malfoy? You looked horrible! You're going to have to shape up if you want to hope to give Harry some competition this season!" she taunted.

He grunted, but he knew she was right, and stalked away. What was it with redheads-with-attitudes today? He grabbed his books from where he had left them, and continued to the Slytherin dormitories. What the hell was I thinking? He chastised himself. I know better. Why is everything bothering me lately? Where is my Malfoy indifference? He thought back to the day before yesterday. His father's grim, cruel smile, and the backhand he had received when he refused to go on a Muggle raid with death eaters.

_Yes, I really do have an evil, mean nature, and those idiotic Muggles get on my nerves, but I don't like to kill. Tease, slap, maybe punch, but I don't like to **torture** or **kill**. _He had seen enough to know that those people didn't do anything to warrant the torture they were put under.

He reached the Slytherin common rooms, and saw Crabbe and Goyle on the sofa, but his gaze shot to the fireplace, where Lorelai sat, reading comfortably. She caught on and smiled, but he just continued to his rooms. It was then that he remembered the parchment he had been given. He unfolded it, and recognized Granger's neat, precise printing:

_Malfoy, here's something that Lorelai and I thought you might need_.  
** IF HE WEARS PAJAMA PANTS**

"He wants to appear studly, but craves coziness. Comfort is key to him, so he chooses the loose bottoms and likes the unrestricted feeling of his bare chest. Though he may not be as open as those who sleep in the buff, he's confident enough to display his body. PJ's lay low on the hips and are sexier in a way that is not vain or pretentious. His preference for steamy-cuddly combos hints that his favorite sex position is side by side, the woman's warm body pressed against his chest."

-_Hermione Granger_.

He let a sigh escape, once again letting his mind wander back to the previous night. Not only had he conceded and sat with Lorelai and Granger, but he allowed himself to be in a position to have an inside joke with not one, but two Mud-Bloods! _Though I don't know for sure if Lorelai IS a Mud blood. How many Mud bloods can speak parsel-tongue?_

He was disturbed for a moment, and then pushed it out of his mind. His mind returned to the note.

Unseen to anyone else, Draco Malfoy genuinely smiled to himself for the first time in months.

Then he whispered the incantation to set the parchment on fire. Once it had disappeared, he went to take a shower, his mind and heart heavy with life.

**a/n: the explanation of the pajama pants thing was taken almost word for word out of the Cosmopolitan magazine. I thought it was funny! Please leave a short review; I'd appreciate it.**


	5. Chapter 5

Blaise Zabini awoke with a start. She glanced around the dark room, not quite sure if she'd heard right—there it was again! She flinched when she heard the scream, a second time. Then all was silent. Weird, she thought. She closed her black eyes and prepared to go back to sleep.

"No, Father, don't, please...No! I won't! You can't!" At this, Blaise sat up straight in bed. It sounded like the Mud-blood was having a nightmare. Blaise was not a charitable person, but she was a prefect, and if her sleep depended upon waking that child from her reason to scream, then she'd do it. She crept out of her door and had her hand on the Mud- blood's doorknob, when every hair on her body stood up straight. For the second time in her life, Blaise was frightened. She started to back away when she heard a male voice coming from the room.

"It's time, darling," the voice snarled. Blaise pressed her ear to the door...there was something familiar about that voice.

"No, it's not. You know that you can't do it without me, and I'm not on your side!"

"Oh, but you are, child. Potter has no idea of who you are, and you must do away with him...it's in your blood..." the voice tried a different approach. "Don't you want to know your father, sweetheart? The one man who validates you as a person? Don't you want to know me as a whole individual, one who doesn't look like something out of a Muggle horror movie?" The mocking, sneering voice sent shivers down Blaise's spine.

"No," was the quiet reply. "NO!" the Mud-blood screamed in terror. "Get away! No! Don't," she started to cry. "No, not now-_sob_-I can't-no, no, no," She kept repeating the word no, each time growing in volume.

"Soon it will be time to show your loyalty to the world, and it'll be more visible than a mark on your back! All you have to do is cooperate, child! Or face the consequences!" "No!" The sound of a desk being overturned. Blaise looked around and noticed Millicent and Pansy emerging from their rooms, eyes open wide. "Get away!"

"You cannot run, child! Come to me in one week, prepared for submission..." his voice lowered. "You don't want me to come to you!"

"I won't. I can't! Just leave me alone!" She screamed hoarsely.

"Does Lucius need to pay you another visit?"

"No, please- no! Never, never again! I swear to Merlin," Her voice rose in desperation, "that if you send that prat, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO KILL HIM!" She sobbed. "You know I could!" Next to Blaise, Pansy began to whimper. Blaise had trouble controlling herself.

"Oh?" the man's voice was eerily calm. "Well, I may just have to remind you of your station, and your position, as my daughter!"

"Fine, do what you will, but it won't change my mind!" She argued.

"Daughter, you leave me no choice," She screamed as he shouted, "Crucio!"

At this, Blaise decided enough was enough. Mud-blood or no, she couldn't just stand by. Millicent and Pansy's screams matched the Mud- blood's and Blaise slammed the door open, wand out, ready to utter an unforgivable, but she stopped short. She looked around the darkened room and was confused...until she saw the crumpled body face-down on the floor. "Lumos," she uttered, and the room was filled with light. "Oh, Merlin!" she exclaimed when she saw the blood pouring from Lorelai's nose, and the scratches that covered every inch of her that was visible! Pansy and Millicent had wandered in, and at the sight of Lorelai's body, they both started to whimper. "She's not dead," said Blaise, matter-of-factly. "But I will need some help. Pansy, Millicent, go and get Snape. And be careful that no one hears you!"

"Shouldn't one of us go get Madam Pomfrey?" Millicent asked.

Blaise sent her a melting look. "Which one of us is the prefect, and which one is the daft idiot?" She answered. Millicent scowled, and taking Pansy's arm, took off toward Snape's private quarters.

"Muggle, are you out or what?" She asked, rolling Lorelai onto her back, then lifted her head back to stop the bleeding. Lorelai didn't respond. Blaise heard a noise at the door, and turned to see Draco in his robe.

"Blaise are you ok?" he asked, and then looked at the resting form in Blaise's arms. "What the hell?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard a scream a few minutes ago, then I heard what sounded like elephants run by my door, and someone was crying like a whining cat. Stop stalling. What happened?" "Draco, just go back to bed!" Blaise trembled, thinking about the threat that Lorelai had made to Lucius. He just shook his head defiantly.

"Nuh-uh." It was a simple noise, but effective nonetheless.

Blaise glared as he walked toward she and Lorelai, and gave him the abridged version of what she had heard outside Lorelai's door, leaving out the part about Potter and Draco's father. When she finished, Draco was sitting on his haunches, staring at what looked to be claw marks on Lorelai's exposed neck. Blaise shifted uncomfortably under Lorelai's weight, and Draco, understanding this, moved his butt to the ground and held out his arms.

"I'll take her. Go back to bed, she'll be ok," He tried to convince her. Then Pansy appeared. Draco groaned at the sight of her, and muttered, "Not now, Pansy,"Her eyes filled with tears, and she angrily turned to Blaise. "He's on his way, he had to stop and get Dumbledore." She started to cry again. Blaise turned to Draco.

"You have everything under control?" Draco nodded. She led Millicent and Pansy out the door, and closed it.

It had been three weeks since they had last spoke. Draco looked down at Lorelai. The bleeding from her nose had stopped, but her pajamas were in shambles. For the first time since he could remember, Draco Malfoy had absolutely no idea on what to do! He stared at the body in his arms, and felt a rush of adrenaline, like when he felt like Blaise or his mother was in danger. He awkwardly stroked her hair, remembering his mother doing that for him once, only once after his very first beating, and the small comfort it brought. Suddenly, Lorelai moved, causing Draco to flinch. All at once, the door slammed open for the second time that night, and Lorelai woke.

Severus Snape stood in the doorframe, along with Dumbledore, and looked down at Draco holding Lorelai. Snape inwardly flinched at the state he saw her in.

"Uh, Professor," Draco started. But it was unnecessary. Snape leaned down and gingerly picked up Lorelai, who screamed in pain. Then she began to cry. Snape moved to her bed, and softly asked, "Stomach or back?" "Back," she chose. He laid her on her back, and Dumbledore began muttering rubbish to himself.

"Lorelai, can you talk to me?" Dumbledore asked. "Child-" She flinched at this gentle word, "Did your father attack you?" A nod. "How did he get in here?"

"Mind-port," she mumbled, and then sniffed. She gingerly sat up, and groaned when she saw the scratches that covered her body. Looking at Snape, who was examining her arms, she struggled for control, and almost pleaded, "Severus?" as if she could not believe that he was there.

"Lor," he started with her familiar nickname. "What did he do this time?" She squeezed her eyes shut and painfully told him.

"Cruciatus." Snape and Dumbledore immediately lowered their heads, and came back to attention when they heard Draco clear his throat.

"Ahem. Uh, would someone explain what the hell is going on?"

"Oh, Draco..." Snape muttered. Before anyone knew what was happening, Lorelai dumbly felt for her wand under her pillow, and aimed it at Draco.

"Confundus!" She ordered, and Draco looked around, confused, while Snape and Dumbledore looked impressed. Snape turned his attention back to Lorelai.

"Draco, everything is under control, but thank you for your concern. Go to bed!" Dumbledore ordered.

"Wh-what happened? Is she ok?" he asked, due to the memory charm.

"Just go!"

And Draco turned around and left, pausing to close the door. He did so in a hurry, but he wasn't too quick to miss the caress that his Potions teacher bestowed on the Mud-blood's face, or the fact that Dumbledore looked truly troubled.. Turning back around, face furrowed, he heard a voice in the dark hallway.

"It's easy to see why the Gryffindors call you Ferret when you look like that!" He instantly recognized the voice in the hall, and he relaxed.

"Blaise! Why didn't you come and get me? I'm a prefect too, you know!"

"Yes, you are, but you are also a male."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You can't be trusted."

"This from the girl who begged her father for the Dark Mark when she was twelve." He stated wryly.

"Yeah, well," she started.

"So, are you going to explain what happened?" He asked. She looked confused.

"I already did..." Suddenly understanding crossed her face. "They must have used a memory charm. Draco, here's the lowdown." She explained the situation once more.

"So...you think that her father is a wizard," he stated.

"Unless there were three people in the room! There was a man who she called father, and he's the one who gave her the cruciatus!" She was beginning to be exasperated.

"So she's been lying. She's not a Mud-blood." Draco said angrily, flatly.

"No, she's not. But Draco, whoever her father is...he mentioned sending yours to torture her..." To Blaise's surprise, Draco laughed.

"That's ridiculous!" Blaise narrowed her eyes, and said, "No, it's not. Whoever she is, Draco, it seems her home life mirrors yours, or maybe even makes yours look like a picnic. Merlin, if you could have just heard her screams!" She shuddered, then yawned. She took her wand and found the time. "Well, it looks like I won't be sleeping tonight. It's a quarter 'til six. If you'll excuse me, prefect, I'm going to go make Pansy and Millicent think that they've been sleeping all night."

He nodded. "The fewer people who know about this, the better." He agreed, and started down the hall to his own bedroom. What is going on with that girl? And how is my father involved? He tried to convince himself that it didn't matter, but it did; he saw the scratches, saw how Snape had tried to comfort her. Why couldn't they have let me help? he thought. Because you have a reputation of not being one to help, came the answer. "Yeah, well, blame me for evil genes, why don't you," he said out loud as he reached his bedroom. He took out his wand and performed a small refreshing spell on himself, then sat down to read a little bit before breakfast.

Lorelai, though in pain, couldn't help herself from watching Draco walk out of the room. He is incomparably attractive, she thought. She sighed, forgetting that Severus was there, and he turned to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. She blushed furiously, wondering what she would have done, had he read her mind and seen that she had been secretly admiring Draco. "I'm feeling a lot stronger, if that's what you mean!" Dumbledore smiled.

"Lorelai, could you be a dear and tell us what happened? In detail?" She lowered her head and spilled out every detail, including the bit about Lucius Malfoy. Dumbledore's eyebrows raised at this.

"Lorelai, what do you mean about Lucius? How has he been involved?" She closed her eyes, as if in great pain, and whispered, "I-um, I don't think that I need to talk about that right now. You know that he's a Death Eater. You know what he's capable of!" Snape nodded, and noticed with satisfaction that her scratches were disappearing quite nicely.

"Lorelai, you do know that we do not suspect that you are going to harm Harry Potter in any way, don't you?" She nodded. "I do think that it would be a good idea, however, if you informed us of any...abnormalities you may notice with time. Changes in your attitude, etc.," his meaning clearly spoke through.

"Headmaster, if you are suggesting that I watch for the Imperious Spell, then know that I have been taught to defeat it. You and Professor Snape know that I would die rather than join my father...I will protect Harry. You have my word." she finished quietly.

"Headmaster, I believe she'll be alright for the night, and it's Saturday now; she'll have plenty of time to rest." The Headmaster nodded, and bent down to Lorelai's ear.

"Be careful with dragons," he began, "they've been known to mercilessly burn." With that, and a swift "Come, Severus," they left Lorelai to her sleep.

It was a long time, however, before sleep claimed her. Lorelai thought about Dumbledore's last words to her and fell asleep meditating on the possible metaphors.

Dumbledore and Snape retreated into the Headmaster's office, though neither felt like sitting. He stood rigidly, though his insides were squirming. He watched the old wizard stroke his beard and waited for what would follow. Finally, Dumbledore spoke.

"Severus, you used her first name. In front of a student. You understand that this is unacceptable."

"Yes, Headmaster, I am aware."

"And I understand that this is a dangerous situation. I am compassionate, sir, that due to her state, you discarded your professionalism."

"Yes, sir." Silence. "Headmaster," Severus spoke in a tone that he hadn't used since his own school days at Hogwarts. Dumbledore patiently waited for him to finish. And for the first time in Severus Snape's life, he found himself uttering three words that he never had, aloud.

"It isn't fair." The two stood in that room, and for all of the bright colors, neither could appreciate the mood of the office, enclosed in the darkness of the burden that one girl unfairly held.

"It's going to end badly, isn't it?" Snape asked.

"I'm not certain, dear Severus, but the motions have begun."


	6. Chapter 6

Draco hadn't bothered with breakfast on this particular Saturday; he'd fallen asleep over the book of poetry he'd been reading. It normally would have been particularly interesting; it was by a Muggle author by the name of Walt Whitman. But due to the previous night's events, one could not blame him for being exhausted. It was nearly time for lunch, so he decided to go and see if Blaise was up (and maybe even see how the Mud-er, Green, was doing).

When he reached the Great Hall, he was relieved to see Blaise in her normal seat. He sauntered over to her, unaware of the many feminine stares he was attracting from the movement of his black silk shirt across his broad shoulders. Before he sat down, Blaise smiled at him, reassuringly. "She's okay," she said. Draco grunted and sat down. Before he even started eating, a shadow fell across him, and he looked up to see Hermione standing in front of the Slytherin table. The Great Hall was so quiet now, one could hear a pin drop.

"What do you want, Mud-blood?" Draco asked coldly. Hermione looked at him with fire in her eyes.

"I'm not here to talk to you, ferret, so shut up and leave me alone!" From across the room, at the Gryffindor table, Ron Weasley shouted, "That's my girl!" Everyone laughed, and the attention was taken from Hermione's unexpected visit to the Slytherin table.

"Blaise, if I could have a word with you...Well, one of the house elves said that Lorelai isn't feeling well, and I'd like to see her..." Hermione started. Draco's head whipped around.

"Surely you're not going to go!" A look of disbelief planted itself on his handsome face as Blaise wordlessly got up and then proceeded to follow Granger out into the hall. A glance backward told him everything he needed to know. Blaise was either going to tell the Mud-blood, or let her in to the Slytherin dormitories. Draco dropped his head onto his arms and groaned. Suddenly, something hit him in the head. "What?!?" he bellowed.

He felt something slide off of his head, and sat back up to see a rolled piece of parchment on the oak table. "Oh, it's the post. Well, uh, thanks, Wormwood," he offered a slight apology to his jet black eagle owl. He shoved a bit of toast in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully as he noticed that the parchment was the kind that teachers sent to students. "Ugh," he mumbled around his toast. "Yuck, Draco!" Pansy had just sat down next to him and was wiping crumbs off of her green long-sleeve silk shirt. He ignored her and unrolled the parchment.

"_Mr. Malfoy, _

_I wanted you to know that I have decided upon Miss Greens detention, and it involves you. I can tell that even with your intelligence, you are going to have problems this year in Potions. Miss Green, however, is an exceptional Potions student..."_

Draco read the rest of the notice and lost his appetite. Exasperated, he rhetorically inquired, "Could this day get any worse?" He stalked out of the Hall on his way to find Snape and complain about his involvement with Lorelai's punishment, but stopped short when he heard two voices laughing and coming down the hall.

"Sure, Harry, I'd love to hang out with you at the next Hogsmeade!" There was Lorelai, looking like last night never happened. She looked the same as usual, in her lavender baseball-style tee shirt, except that her hair was uncharacteristically pulled up high on her head, and her face was devoid of the sultry makeup he was used to seeing her in. There was no evidence that last night, she had been covered with scratches. Instead, there she was, her pretty face flushed, laughing with Potter, of all people.

"Well, alright then," Harry said, with a slight blush in his cheeks. "'Till next Saturday, then. Have a good day, Lorelai," He added for extra measure. They stopped, and for one horrifying moment, Draco froze, thinking that they might kiss. Instead, Potter awkwardly stuck out his hand, and Lorelai clasped it. _ Yeah, real smooth, Potter. You really know how to romance a lady!_ Draco thought, sarcastically. He watched Potter move to the Great Hall, and Lorelai stayed put. Draco wanted to turn and go, but she caught his eye first, and all of a sudden, his mouth went dry. He wet his lips and placed his usual smirk on his face.

"Not hungry?" He asked.

Lorelai couldn't believe that he was actually speaking to her. She was so tired this morning, she didn't bother fixing her hair and makeup, and when Hermione came in a few minutes before, she collapsed in her friend's lap and explained that she had had a hard night. Hermione was sympathetic, and told her that Harry wanted to speak with her. When she'd left the common room, Harry was waiting right outside. Hermione smiled knowingly and made up an excuse to go back to Gryffindor tower.

"Good morning, Harry," Lorelai began. She took in his boy-next- door appearance thoughtfully. His black hair was messy, as usual, but in an endearing way. He had green eyes, which, to any other girl (namely Ginny Weasley) would have been drooled over, but to Lorelai, they looked dull this morning.

She had spent the night dreaming about smoky grey eyes and strong, powerful arms.

Harry made small talk with her until they reached the Great Hall. He slowed them down, coming to a stop, and he suddenly got very fidgety. "Uh, Lorelai," he started, looking down at the ground. "Would you, uh, well, I know that it's not usual for Slytherin and Gryffindor to get along, but, uh, you're different." He smiled and blushed slightly. His boyish embarrassment was very endearing. Lorelai put her hand on his shoulder and her smile was full of encouragement.

"Go on, Harry," She said, her words full of patience.

"Well, would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" He finished quickly.

"Sure, Harry, I'd love to hang out with you at the next Hogsmeade!" Harry looked relieved.

"Well alright then. 'Till next Saturday, then!" Lorelai smiled graciously. "Have a good day, Lorelai!" He awkwardly stuck out his hand, and Lorelai grinned inside as she clasped it. Well, he must not be used to asking girls on dates! That was kind of lame, she began, but her other personality jumped in with It was sincere! It was sweet, really. Besides, it will be the perfect opportunity to keep an eye on him. She giggled aloud, then turned to go back to Slytherin, and she saw Draco. His smoky eyes bore into hers with intensity, then lightened, and the famous Malfoy smirk fell over his face. "Not hungry?" he asked.

Lorelai felt her face flush, and for some reason, she found herself speechless as she shook her head no.

"What? Potter got your tongue?" He asked facetiously. He watched in delight as her cheeks flushed with anger.

"Nope. Do you have to be so crude?" Draco raised his eyebrows as if to say, "What did you expect?"

"Well, Malfoy, if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to my room and do some homework, as I didn't get the opportunity last night." She tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm as she drew near and spun her around. She yelped in pain and looked up at him, and for a minute, he saw fear in her eyes. Well, who wouldn't be scared after what happened to her last night? He only increased pressure, causing her to cry out, and forced his anger through his eyes.

"What's with calling me Malfoy?"

"What are you talking about? You're called Malfoy all of the time. Look, you're hurting me. Will you let me go?" He lessened the pressure, his eyes never losing contact with her.

"You never call me Malfoy." He said this quietly.

"What? So?"

"So I thought we had an understanding. You called me by my name, I call you by yours. Isn't that how civilized people talk to one another?"

"Civilized, yes. That doesn't work for us!" Draco's face fell for a second, but he quickly regained control.

"I'm not civilized, Lorelai?" he began in an eerily quiet tone. "I'm not civilized? You forget that I took care of you while you were unconscious, and how do you repay that? You put a bloody memory charm on me!" His expression grew from sneering to serious. "Why don't you feel like you can trust me? I'm probably the only one you can trust in this hellhole," he sniffed. Lorelai looked up in surprise, then her usual fire consumed her expression.

"Did it ever occur to you that I do trust you, more than I should, especially considering your last name? I put that memory charm on you, yes, but not on Blaise! Did you think that that was by accident? I didn't want you to have to remember what I was looking like, and if you have to ask yourself why, you're daft."

"What? So you're judging me by my last name now? You prance around like you are above that. You don't think I could handle the memory of the mess that you were in? Well that charm didn't get to me in time to stop me from seeing Snape caressing your face as if he owned you! If I were uncivilized, I would have questioned that! In fact, I think I'm going to. What happened between you and Snape?" he asked cooly.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She lied. "I guess, I don't know, he has some paternal thing going on...Draco! Please let go of me...you're seriously hurting me!"

"As if I should be concerned about that. I was concerned about you last night, and where did that get me? Nowhere. You can just keep your lies to yourself!" With that, he let her go in disgust. When he drew his hand back, he eyes widened when he saw that it was wet, covered with blood. Lorelai's blood. He looked at her arm, and sure enough, the material was soaked. Some of the scratches must not have healed. He watched as she cradled it with her other hand.

"Damn it, Draco, I meant that I'm the one who's not civilized!" She lowered her voice. "Did you know that I can kill you?" The volume rose steadily. "Do you understand that if I get angry enough, sometimes I can shoot a damned spell through my eyes? I'm a fucking FREAK, Draco!" She stopped, for a minute, fighting tears of frustration. "Yes, I lied. If that bothers you, I'm sorry. But you and Blaise are now the only two students who know that I'm not a Muggle-born, ok? If I didn't trust you with that, I would have put the charm on Blaise, so she wouldn't tell you! I-I just didn't want you to deal with the visual, ok?"

Draco tried to recover from shock, and it took a minute for him to do so. He surveyed her, clutching her arm, hair falling out of her ponytail, and her eyes bubbling with rage. But he noticed that the look in her eyes wasn't directed toward him. In fact, he was quite familiar with the emotions. The look in her eyes mirrored what he felt when he woke up in the morning; self-loathing.

He hated himself like he hated his father. But as horrible as Lucius was, Draco still wanted to please him. He hated lies; his father had done nothing but lie to him. And yet, Draco somehow knew that Lorelai wouldn't lie unless she had reason to...but still. His father's words came back to him.

"_Don't ever fall in love, Draco. Tease them, bed them, beat them, whatever. Just don't become emotionally involved. Women are liars, and to love one is to be weak_."

Draco did not grow up in a loving environment, but through the beatings and the contrasting teaching of etiquette, Draco both loved and hated his father. And if what Blaise said was true, Lucius had had something to do with this girl. If his father wanted her...no! I can't be that cruel! Draco argued. But his loyal side won out. He decided that he'd try to give his father what he wanted. He knew he had to act quickly, or there would be no information left to salvage.

In that moment, Draco Malfoy sold his soul.

"Look, Lorelai, I'm SORRY, and that's not something that I say often. It's hard for me to believe everything you're telling me. Now, your father is a wizard, correct?" Inwardly, his stomach churned, torn with what he was planning. She hasn't done anything to you except for embarrass you—can that justify giving her over to those who wish to- He cut off his conscience; it was too painful. He willed himself to become hard again. "Can you trust me enough to tell me who?" She looked confused. Draco tried to make himself appear sincere. He reached for her, and she recoiled, but relaxed quickly. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, and drew her into his arms.

To his surprise, the sensation of her softness against his hard- muscled chest quickened his heart, and he rethought what he was about to do. She relaxed in his arms, and he suffered an inward groan.

"Lorelai, you can trust me," he murmured as he leaned down and brushed his lips against her hair, as if out of habit; in fact, the sweet gesture surprised him! Certainly, it was unnecessary. But still, she wouldn't speak. She stiffened as though she smelled something amiss. Then she slowly drew back her face from its resting spot in the crook where his neck met his shoulders. She searched his sincere expression, and without a warning, she took his hand and wordlessly led him down the hall. When they reached the shadows, she stopped, and turned to face him, her eyes wide and pleading. Draco in turn lowered his head to take advantage of the opportunity; who would have guessed that she'd be begging him to kiss her? Females were so easily moved by emotions, it was insane!

He got so close, he could feel her breath teasing his lips.

Suddenly he felt his head thump against the hard brick of the wall, and Lorelai seemed to grow to his level as she burned her gaze into his own. "Uh, what the hell?" But his mouth was covered with her hands.

"I don't believe you. I've been taught my whole life to trust my instincts, and right now, they're telling me not to trust you. So, spill. What evil, awful thing are you planning, Draco?" She spat.

"What do you think you're going to accomplish here?" he tried to be nonchalant about the fact that there was a small girl literally pinning him to the wall. She answered by pushing her arm up against his throat under his Adam's apple.

"You know what, Draco?" she sneered. Draco was impressed for a moment by that sneer, but that was squelched by her next words. "I thought that you needed a friend. I thought that I'd give you the benefit of the doubt. But let me tell you something! I will tutor you in Potions, as it's my punishment, but beyond that, don't touch me, don't look at me." She looked away for a second, then lowered his chin with his finger so their eyes could meet better. "Don't you see? Don't you understand that we're in the same boat, Draco? I tried to be nice, I even enjoy your company, more than I thought possible, because I don't make friends easily. But I don't appreciate that you're playing a game with me," she continued.

"Do you think I'm playing a game?" he mocked, though he was half-serious.

"I was born _at_ night, not _last_ night, Draco. I feel empty like you, and I used to take it out on everyone else. After a while, I held my hate to myself and turned it toward a goal, which shall remain unnamed. So, yes, I've played the manipulation game before, Draco, but I don't now, except for when my life is in danger."

"Smart girl," he mumbled.

"What did you want? To turn me over to your father?" His eyes flashed surprise at her apparent intuitiveness. "Draco, listen to me, I'm only going to tell you this one more time; I've told you many times by the way I've acted toward you. Your father is not half the man that you could be."

For a moment, his thoughts returned to his feeling on the first night of term; that she had seen his potential...and he felt violated. He snapped his head up, which was a bad idea, because he hit the back of his head again. He began to feel regret for what he had tried to do.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sincerely.

She looked at him in disgust. "What do I mean? Look. Don't play games with me. I believe that there's good in you, more than you want to let on. But until you're ready to hear the rest of it, I'm shutting my mouth on that subject. Draco," she pleaded, "you are so far above your father in potential," But he grabbed her and with superior strength turned her around, reversing their positions.

"You don't know anything! What the fuck do you have against my father, anyway? Your father is a fucking Death Eater, too, or did you think I wouldn't pick up on that?" He spat.

"Your first instinct in the common room was correct, Draco. You shouldn't underestimate me. I'm not naïve, as much as that disappoints you. Your father saw to that." She gazed meaning into his eyes, and he noticed that he could almost see actual clouds in her eyes. She pushed him away and ran toward Slytherin. How could she know what he had been thinking in the common room unless—

"FUCK!" He yelled, banging his fist against the wall.

"Yeah, well, that's life, I guess," he heard another hard voice, and watched as the petite, curvaceous figure of Ginny Weasley appeared from the shadows. Her face was tear-streaked, _as usual_, he noted. He grabbed her.  
  
"How much of that did you hear, Virginia?" he asked. She looked up at him in shock that he used her Christian name, but noticed that his eyes were as cold as always.

"Enough," she replied vaguely, lifting her chin, proud. Her spunk surprised him. His eyes drank in her figure. She's not bad- looking, he decided.

"What were _you_ crying about?" he asked, finding in surprise that he didn't have to fake curiosity.

"What do you care?" she asked defiantly, though in truth, she was delighted that someone cared about her situation. He just raised an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," he teased, having no intention of doing so. It just seemed natural to throw away pretense with someone else who was hurting. He was surprised that he found it easy to respond to her. She cocked an eyebrow warily.

"Oh, who cares anyway? Who are you going to tell?" She smoothed her second-hand robe out. "It's Harry," she said, ashamed.

"You're still on after that git?" he was astonished, but he didn't try to hide his revulsion.

"What? He may be oblivious, but he's not that bad!" Draco stared pointedly at her. "Well, he's not!" She defended. "It's just that, well, we were getting on extremely well, you know, talking and divulging deep thoughts to one another, really connecting, and then,"

"And then he asked Lorelai to Hogsmeade?" Draco finished for her. She snapped to attention, surprised that he knew.

"Well, yes. I'm not mad at her, you know, she didn't know. And she has been a great friend to Harry and Hermione since she's been here. It just seemed that Harry and I were getting pretty close," she blushed. "Anyway, what's your problem today?" she finished.

Draco's ears perked up. He collected himself. "How close did you two get?" he asked.

"Well, he just kissed me," she started. "Several times." she finished.

"It seems like everyone is having trust issues," he replied. Ginny snorted. Draco shot her a look.

"What was that for?"

"Lorelai's not Pansy. She's not going to fall for your bullshit," Ginny stated. Draco looked taken aback by this pixie using that sort of language. "You're going to have to be sincere, and be her friend. But, I don't suppose you know how to be a friend, do you?" Draco feigned hurt, and wondered what he was doing, talking to a Weasley.

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" he said forcefully. "Because you're an asshole to the people you call your friends, well, except for Blaise," she added thoughtfully. "I think that Lorelai was trying to teach you how to be a friend, but then again, what do I know? I'm a Weasley, right, Malfoy?"

"What, Weasley, have you been watching me? Mayber your obsession with Potter is an act to hide what you really want."

"What are you playing at, Malfoy?"

"I'm surprised that you pine after Potter when you could have a real man. But then, you surely wouldn't know what one is, being raised by your good- for-nothing father"

"Fuck off, Malfoy." She had her wand out. "One more disgusting word in regard to my family, and you will find yourself without a head."

He eyed her once again, and noticed her little pink tongue dart across her lips. He felt a heat flush through his body. Damn Lorelai for getting me worked up! Oh well, if it would help him with his plan, he may as well go all out. But for some reason, he felt that his plan might be changing.

"Has anyone told you that you're attractive?" Malfoy went for it, changes his attitude to its usual state; exuding confidence.

Ginny blushed. "Are you mental? No, really, I think that you are absolutely nutters," she stated, incredulous. "You need to go to the infirmary, Malfoy. Really. You're sick in the head."

"You are," he reinforced, staring at her in a way that made Ginny flush in a way not unlike what she felt when she and Harry were in the middle of a good snog. Ginny sighed.

"Malfoy, what do you want?"

"Well, you have friends, right?" Ginny nodded. "Well, I think I need a crash course in how to be a friend. Can you do that?" She stared at him in disbelief, then lightened up.

"What's in it for me?" She asked. Draco was impressed with her initiative.

"We'll make Potter jealous," he stated simply. _And maybe I'll get some information on Lorelai_.

"Uh, Malfoy, thanks, but I'm not into playing games with people." Draco pursed his lips.

"What if," he started, moving in closer, "What if I just asked you to accompany me to Hogsmeade, and we see what happens from there."

Draco watched her face to see if she was buying it. Ginny was silent, then, without warning, she burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked, slightly miffed. "Did you just ask me out on a date?" Ginny could barely get the words out. Draco just nodded. She could see that he wanted something else—she still didn't know why he was so out of character, or why it was so important for him to get Lorelai to trust him, but she thought she could get something out of it as well. What if she doesn't do it? Draco wondered. Well, there will always be another girl, he reasoned. He studied her. She was beautiful, for a Weasley. Almost as pretty as Lorelai. Come to think of it, the shape of their eyes were similar, as were their lips and color of their hair. Ginny grabbed his attention. The laughter ceased.

"Ok," she conceded. "But I have to insist on one thing."

Draco awaited her request.

**a/n: I know that Draco may seem a little OOC in this chapter, especially with Ginny, but you know what? A Malfoy would go to any means possible to get what he wants. What exactly does he have planned? And what does Ginny want? Or does she simply want to know what it's like to hang out with the resident bad guy? It seems she's not as innocent as we all would like to think she is... please review**


	7. Chapter 7

"Well, actually, there are two things that I want, Malfoy," Ginny corrected herself. She watched Malfoy raise his eyebrows in a questioning manner. She took this opportunity to torture him, and slowly worked her stare up and down his muscular body. He took notice of this action, and stood up straighter, so she could see his full height. Ginny followed his half- smile, and sharply inhaled. Malfoy was, without mincing words, sexy. She was just imagining how his arms looked without the offending material covering them when Malfoy cleared his throat.

"Are you going to stop gawking now, Weasley, or should I give you a picture?" A slow, knowing grin spread over face and she looked at him coyly and fought the blush rising in her cheeks at the same time.

"Well, Malfoy, first, I insist that you call me Ginny, and I'll call you Draco. I don't like the formality of our last names, nor the malice that the use of them suggests."

"I think I can manage that, _Ginny_," he agreed, putting extra emphasis on her first name.

"Good Draco," she quipped, fighting the urge to offer him a treat. "Second, you must swear to me that you will stop whatever ridiculous plot that you have against Lorelai. She's a great girl! And you and I both know that you're just mad because she always seems to get the best of you." Draco's scowl replaced his almost-smile, and Ginny sighed, adding one more thing to her list of demands. He studied her openly, taking in her curves and the not-so-innocent smile on her cute little face before he agreed.

"Fine," he said. Ginny wasn't convinced.

"Draco, you have to swear. If you screw her over, I'll make it impossible for you to have kids!" she threatened. He threw his hands up in the air, losing his temper.

"Al-right! I told you that I would cease immediately! And Malfoy's do NOT break their word!" he shouted. Ginny shrank back, almost frightened by the ferocity of his voice. Draco looked at her. "Oh, stand up straight! I'm not going to hit you," he said a bit more calmly. She nodded.

"Draco, I've added one more thing,"

"Again? How many times are you going to change your..." He was silenced when he was thrown up against the brick for the second time that day, only this time, he thought he might enjoy it. Ginny moved in close, to where their bodies were touching, then slid up the length of him so she could reach his mouth. She stopped just short of his lips, then looked up into his eyes. She moved her arms like liquid down his torso, and then to his hands. She wasn't the 'innocent' Ginny Weasley that everyone (except the two guys she'd been with, yes, you know, _been_ with) thought she was. She wasn't the kind to walk around and just give it away, but she did like to tease a bit.

He felt on fire. Still holding his gaze with hers, she caught his bottom lip lightly between her teeth. He groaned as she aggressively took his mouth, teasing him with her tongue, and he responded, freeing his hands from her grasp and he placed them on her tiny hips, and pulled her against him. She moaned, feeling him against her, and then, regretfully pulled away. He looked at her, eyes full of desire and disbelief.

"What was that?" he asked roughly

"My third condition. "Cause, I've, uh, oh dear, I've always wanted to snog with...with you," she finished.

"You say that you and Potter snogged...several times?" he asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Y-yeah," Shy Ginny had returned

"Lucky bloke, he is." She blushed. "Yeah, well, I've, uh, I've got to go eat, at least make an appearance, you know?" She made her excuse to leave. "By the way, Malfoy, I don't think that we should tell anyone about our date until Saturday...that will certainly shock everyone out of their pants, eh?" She giggled softly. He managed a half-smile and looked her up and down appreciatively, focusing on her swollen lips.

"Yeah, whatever, I'll see you on Saturday, Weasley," he said.

"Ok, Ferret-boy...and, by the way, I'm really looking forward to it..." she paused, and bit her lip the way that she'd seen Lorelai do so many times, subconsciously. "I'm interested to see what really lies beneath your skin," she finished quickly. She sauntered away.

Draco shook his head in disbelief. He had been looking for a conquest, but was presented instead with a partner in crime. "Don't expect too much, Weasel," he muttered softly under his breath, seconds after she was out of hearing range. But as she walked away, he found himself noticing that Virginia's hips didn't hypnotize him as another certain redhead's had. He swore and his excitement waned. He had made a promise to Virginia, and he didn't know why, but he intended to keep it...for now. He walked back to the Slytherin common room. He reached the portrait and muttered, "Confusion." The door opened and Draco stepped into the dungeons, feeling the draft that always seemed to be there, regardless of the fire that was always roaring-the fire! Lorelai wasn't in her usual chair by the fireplace! He frowned, disappointed, and he felt...guilty? He felt responsible for her absence! And why shouldn't he?

"Yes, why shouldn't I? I made her bleed!" he said out loud. And for what? his conscience asked. Draco thought on this. He had hurt her in order to get to her information. And why did it bother him that she hadn't explained the situation of last night to him? That she had put that memory charm on him? Draco stood and thought.

He didn't know how long he had been standing there when a slap to his face brought him back to the present. The fire had dimmed, but light or no, there was no mistaking the voice that hissed, "You son-of-a-bitch!"

**-------------**

Snape looked down at the disheveled girl at the door to his private chambers. "You do know that it is completely inappropriate for you to be here, don't you?"

"Severus, please, I-I need to talk to you, to tell you of what's to come, to seek your help and guidance," Lorelai's jaw was set, but for a moment, her eyes softened as she whispered,

"Please don't turn me away, Severus, I don't know what to do! I know what I must do, but I don't know how to go about doing it and oh! I'm getting ahead of myself." Her arms stopped the wild motion and she crossed them in front of her, clearly favoring her left. Snape took a look at it, and noticed the stiff cloth. He reached out and touched it and then brought out his wand. Lorelai tensed, then soon relaxed when he muttered, "Lumos." Using the light from his wand, Snape peered closely at it, and drew back quickly. "Lorelai, is this blood?" She nodded. His brow furrowed. "Then it is worse than I thought." She nodded once more. "Does it hurt?"

"No, not really," she stated simply. "Well, you had better come inside then. And don't be alarmed, I'll be the perfect gentleman," he added, smiling wryly to lighten the mood. She returned the smile, and then it quickly disappeared as she stepped inside Snape's private quarters. She took a minute to survey the Potion's Master's living space. For a moment, she forgot that she was there under the most grave circumstances. Everything was stone, there were few candles, and no windows. Black shelves covered one wall entirely, and each shelf was filled with black- bound books.

She saw many pieces of black leather furniture; a piece that Muggles would call a 'loveseat,' and two high-backed chairs with curved, decorative arms to them. Each of the chairs resided close to the fireplace, on the-_oh my gosh_!!! she thought. Is that a SHAG rug? She tried to fight the inevitable giggle, and she lost. Snape's eyes whipped to where she stood.

"What's so funny?" he asked in the pinched, annoyed voice he usually used with Potter. That only caused her to laugh even harder. "It's amazing you can find humor in a situation like this," he said caustically. She only pointed in the direction of the fireplace, barely able to draw in enough air to breathe, much less speak. "Oh, yes, the rug. Well, as you know, as we were both in Muggle London together this summer, I was in a store, following one of my-er-charges, and once I felt the texture of this rug, I knew I had to have it. Besides, it was my color," he added, knowing that he had set off ammunition. "What is the expression that the Muggles use? Oh, yes, 'Soft as a baby's bottom,'"

He was shocked when the expression on Lorelai's face changed from one of amusement to looking as though she had just been slapped.

"Actually, Severus, that's one of the things that I need to discuss with you tonight," she said in a shaky voice, and then she gestured to her arm. "Among other things."

-------------

She licked the end of her sugar quill, then began writing again. Grateful for the common room's warmth, she set her quill down and removed her robe, then grabbed an extra quill and tied up her hair with it. Finally comfortable, Ginny picked up her quill and had it poised, ready to write, but nothing came. _It's a stupid assignment anyway_, she inwardly huffed. Her last assignment had been great, the essay on the Quidditch captains. But now, Colin Creevey had gone too far. He had heard of a Muggle advice column, Dear Abby, and he decided that Ginny Weasley should be the advice-queen extraordinaire. Nevermind the fact that her love life was abysmal.

She re-read one of her questions from the last edition, addressed to, "Dear Miss Phoenix." She had chosen the pen name for her secret love of the creatures.

"_Dear Miss Phoenix: Here's my problem. I've liked a girl for quite some time, in fact, it's mutual and we've even been sort of dating, though she probably doesn't see it that way. I want to know how I can make sure that she's in this relationship for the long haul...Sincerely, Overlooked."_

She had simply told this Overlooked fellow that he needed to make this girl jealous, and see what she did in return. Ok, it may not have been the best advice, but contrary to popular belief, Ginny wasn't an angel and enjoyed a good joke as much as anyone. Ginny laughed out loud, and drew attention from Hermione who was sitting in Ron's lap across the room.

"What's so funny, Gin?" Hermione asked politely, interested in her friend's life. "Oh, nothing, just this advice column," Ginny returned. Not even Hermione, her closest friend knew about her new identity. Or her new interest...Mmmm...Draco. Ginny blushed madly, remembering the way that she had wantonly kissed him, and how his response had made her feel...so...needed! She hadn't felt that way since...No, Gin, there's no reason to think of that now. She would settle on knowing that she had lied to Malfoy about the extent of her relationship with Harry, and just leave it at that. Who would have though that she and Malfoy of all people could have had a good rapport? Certainly not Ginny. _He must have been having an off day, she reasoned._

But accident or no, she was still looking forward to seeing Harry's face at Hogsmeade the following week...He couldn't really be interested in Lorelai, could he? And Lorelai most certainly wasn't interested in Harry for real—he wasn't her type! Ginny heard a thump and felt pain...she looked down and realized that she had banged her fist on the wooden table subconsciously. Speaking of Lorelai...she needed to know that Draco was planning something with her. Ginny enjoyed Draco's company, but she didn't trust him any farther than she could throw him. But she could take care of herself...or so she hoped. She rolled her eyes at the pile of letters and began mending people's love lives.


	8. Chapter 8

Snape's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Remembering his position, he quickly regained some control. His dark eyes darted around, and bore into Lorelai. She was shaking with the effort to hold her composure-something he'd always admired about her. His eyes passed from her rigid posture and clenched fist to the only thing that betrayed her stoic appearance; the fact that she was biting her lower lip. Snape went and closed the door to his private quarters and walked purposefully to Lorelai. She watched him draw near. He stood right in front of her in the dim light, and he saw her draw in a quick breath. Her eyes were open, no longer as naïve as they had been when Snape had first met her, and she was non-verbally inviting him to close the space between them.

_Careful, Severus, you aren't two teenagers without a care in the world; she's your student, even if there was something between you! And she's scared. She is dealing with something bigger than the both of you, his conscience chided_.

He reached an arm around her and placed a hand on her lower back. She winced. "Does it hurt?" he asked. She nodded in confirmation. He maneuvered her around to the sofa that faced the fireplace. "Incendio," he muttered. Flames instantly appeared, softening the harshness of the circumstances that brought Lorelai to his home. She was sitting stiffly. Snape chose a chair across from the sofa, its back against the fire.

"Now, Lorelai, exactly what were you talking about? Is there more than what I know? Are you..." he trailed off, not quite knowing how to ask this important question. Lorelai seemed to snap to attention.

"Look, Severus-can I call you Severus right now? It'll be easier to talk and to trust you because looking at you as a professor is kind of intimidating and.." Snape raised his eyebrows looking at her with a, "you can stop babbling now" expression.

She started again. "He's going to come for me on Saturday, most likely after I return from Hogsmeade."

"Your father." Snape wasn't asking a question, just stating a fact.

"The man I thought was my father until August," she corrected. Snape merely waited for her to continue as he was never one to rush. "You know that the man I know as Father collected me a year ago from my mother. I took one look at him and was thankful that I'd inherited my mother's looks. He came into Tylendal's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on the last day of fall term, and apparated with me to London. I asked if I could owl Mom to let her know, he said that she already knew, and it would be a waste of time. Of course, I suspected everything that he said was not the truth, but, well, you know what conditions I was under."

She took a breath. "We had a week for vacation, er, I mean holiday, and during that time, my hours were spent living in the library of an old house he called his master's. Of course, he couldn't bring me to his house, for his family didn't know about me." Severus just nodded. "He set out a list of reading for me to accomplish every day. Curses, hexes, charms, the Dark Arts, potions," Severus smiled. "If I did not complete the assigned reading, I was...disciplined. But you already know that, so there's no need to go into the details.

Then, on the last day of holiday, I received a letter brought by Mom's owl. It was hurried, and told me not to write back for fear of it being intercepted. She said that I was to be transferred from Tylendal's to Beauxbatons in France, then to Hogwarts for the new school year. The letter also stated that if anything were to happen to her, to contact someone named Sirius, and everything would be taken care of." Snape blanched at Sirius' name. "Have you contacted him?" he asked. "You know, I don't know if my mother is alive or dead right now, especially after this summer..." She spat angrily. "But I haven't given up hope."

"Of course not, Lorelai. Continue." Her face softened, and her eyes began to sting.

"I'm going to Hogsmeade with Harry on Saturday," Lorelai stated.

"What does that have to do with anything? Will that not endanger your responsibility?" Severus felt a pang of...something...inside his chest and he inhaled sharply.

"IF you'd let me finish, I might enlighten you on a few things," Lorelai nagged. "This is most serious, Severus." He felt reprimanded. By a 16 year old.

"I have a feeling that I am to receive the Dark Mark on Saturday evening. That's what Father meant," the rest of the words tumbled out. "Voldemort wants me on his side badly! And, Severus, you KNOW that I cannot run from these people! There's something inside of me that they can touch; that they can reach and they know that all they have to do is push the button, and I'll do what they want! Severus, I still have nightmares about what happened after you left this summer, terrible things that make me feel like I am going insane, and most of the time I feel so detached from reality that I don't know which way is up...and they did it to me! They have reduced me to a state of mind that they can control, and you know what? Part of me wants them to so I don't have to worry about survival anymore! _I am ready to just give it all up and die_!"

She screamed out the end of that so loud that Snape wondered where she had hidden the mandrake. He looked at the girl across from him, and saw the internal struggle that was tearing her apart. On one hand, she was ready to do anything and everything to fight the evil in the world; on the other, she couldn't seem to separate herself from the evil blood that flowed through her veins. This wasn't the pillar of strength that had saved his life more than once this summer. The nightmares! She hadn't told him about the nightmares...

"Lorelai." His quiet beckoning cut through the silence. "Lorelai, I need to know what you intend to do. I want to help you, you don't have to carry this alone." He offered his support in a very un-Snape like manner, knowing that with her, all pretense was lost.

"I'm going to do it," she countered.

"Going to do what?" He hoped for the best. "I'm going to let them burn the Mark in my arm. And then I'm going to use it to destroy them all." She said this, void of all emotion, matter-of- factly. "I just need some quick education—some ideas, some help...If I'm going to be a spy, I need to know how to do it right."

"What? Lorelai, I'm lost...you lost me at the 'I'm going to do it' part. Where did this come from?" He was incredulous, but in his spirit, he knew that it was the only way for her to survive.

"I want to do what you did, Severus. What Sirius did. And what I hope Draco Malfoy will choose to do, as he undoubtedly will have to make this decision. I want to live, Severus. I've decided. I want to see my mother. I want to kill my father," She let half of a laugh. "That sounds really bad, doesn't it?"

"You don't have to do this," he said, knowing that it was exactly what she had to do. "You will be meeting Voldemort, then," he said.

"It won't be the first time," she said. Snape widened his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"The nightmares," she stated. "I-I haven't told you? Of course not," she answered herself. She raised a hand to her face, massaging her temples with her thumb and middle finger. "After I finished my term at Beauxbatons, Parkinson collected me like he had done previously, and you and I met. After you returned to Hogwarts, Bill Parkinson, the man who I thought was my father, captured me. Would you believe that I got ratted out by the man who runs the ice cream shop in Diagon Alley?" She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Funny, isn't it?"

Snape ignored the quip. "You are absolutely certain that Parkinson is not your biological father then?" Snape asked.

Lorelai snorted. "I should hope not!" She looked toward the fire, and it instantly dimmed. Snape had suspected that she had to ability to perform raw magic, but what he just witnessed confirmed it. She brought her feet up on the couch and wrapped her arms around her ankles, and rested her chin on her knees. Her breathing became ragged, labored. "_He needs to know. He needs to know...he needs to know_," she repeated quietly in her mind. She closed her eyes, summoning the strength to let him know. She quieted, and Snape wondered if he should interject something when she began to speak.

"August 13th. Parkinson, the man I used to call Father, found me. He didn't even come near me; just pulled out his wand and yelled, 'Crucio.' That was the first time, but only the first out of about 7 times that weekend...I thought I was going to die. All of a sudden we were in what seemed to be the tower of a castle, but what was actually the dungeons in someone's basement... Parkinson seemed impressed. Then he began questioning me about you, asking me if saving your life was worth forfeiting mine...I answered that you were worth it." She lowered her head.

"Foolish girl," Severus muttered softly.

"I told him that you were too greatly protected, anyhow. That they never would have been able to kill you...he backhanded me and broke my nose. I was bloody everywhere, now, he had kicked my knees in and stomped on my back," her voice was mechanical now. "He freed me of the magical bindings I had been placed in, and told me to stand and greet my guests properly. I looked up, and sure enough, there were six other Death Eaters surrounding us...I opened my mouth to scream, and then one of the six yelled for silence. The one who spoke lifted back his hood, and I recognized the mutilated mess in front of me..."

"Voldemort," Snape spoke at the same time as she.

Lorelai nodded. "Yes. He grinned; it was evil, rotten. 'My dear girl,' he said. 'It's time for you to come to knowledge about your birth. Your mother was easily seducible, and in the days before Potter practically vanquished me, I did have good looks.' My head was spinning by this time; all I had heard was how powerful I was, and up until this point, I still thought my mother was a Muggle. Severus, I..." Her face became blank as she carefully chose her next words. Snape watched her in disbelief.

If what she was saying was accurate, then she was the daughter of...No, Snape thought. There has got to be a different explanation. He turned his attention back towards her. Her shoulders lifted with the intake of every breath, then paused as she held it; her whole body relaxed as she exhaled. He could tell that what she was about to divulge was extremely difficult for her. He jumped inadvertently when she suddenly snapped out of her trance and began speaking again.

-----------------------

"Where the hell is Lorelai? What did you do to her?" The question followed the slap and the insult. Draco whirled around and grabbed his assailant's wrists with bruising force.

"Blaise! What the HELL is your problem?" Draco yelled. "Isn't this day bad enough without you trying to kill me? Damn. I'm so fucking sick of you women!"

"Draco, you-," "No! I DON'T want to hear it! I'm tired, Blaise. I'm tired of you ragging on me about Lorelai and the Weaslette and-," he continued ranting almost unintelligibly. Blaise shook her black hair over her right shoulder and rolled her eyes. She waited a few more seconds while tapping her foot. Yup, he was still going. Frustrated and utterly bored, Blaise grabbed Draco's broad shoulders and smacked him across the face again. He stopped his rampage and looked at her with blank eyes.

"Will you quit? You're scaring me, Malfoy; it's like you're going absolutely nutters!" Blaise told him. The suggestion that he was mentally ill drove Draco to snap out of it. He became enraged once more.

"You are on thin ice, Zabini!" he hissed. Blaise rolled her eyes once more. "Whatever. Look, Lucius popped by Dumbledore's office to find you, and when he couldn't, he gave this to me. He wanted to make sure you got it. So, here." Blaise threw the parchment at him.

Draco stared at the broken seal in disbelief. "Did you open this?" He asked, seething. "What does it look like, genius? So, Draco, you've asked your father for the Dark Mark? Well, it looks like you got your wish. When were you going to tell me? I'm supposed to be your best friend, and I didn't even know. Asshole," she added as an afterthought.

"Is that all?" Draco asked, incredulous.

"What do you mean?"

"My silence over the Dark Mark issue...is that the sole reason you slapped me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I gotta go..." Blaise turned and sauntered away. "Blaise?! What are you hiding from me?" She just ignored him.

"Blaise! I know that there's a whole mess that you're not telling me!" But she just disappeared to her corridor. Draco stared at the letter in his hand. He knew that Lucius had favor with the Dark Lord, but he never assumed that his appeared eagerness to follow in his father's footsteps would be answered so soon! And he had a week to prepare...Fuck. He had to find Snape. His powerful arm swept a bronze statue clattering to the ground in his anger before Draco left the common room.

--------------------------

"C'mon, Ginny, tell me who you're meeting at Hogsmeade!" Ron badgered.

"Nope," she replied, curtly.

"Oh, Ginny, what's the big deal behind the secrecy? Just tell us," Harry said, exasperated from an afternoon of trying to get Ginny to divulge her secret meeting to him.

"Harry, I don't even know why you care. Besides, is there any reason why you've been too chicken-shit to tell me that you were going to Hogsmeade with Lorelai? I don't know what you see in that Slytherin, anyway!" Ginny tossed her head, pouting. Hermione and Ron laughed at her obviously joking gesture, but Harry took her seriously.

"You don't know why I care? I thought," he lowered his voice. "I thought that we would go, Gin, but," he coaxed. "I asked Lorelai because, well, let's just say that I have a suspicion about her that I have to turn into evidence, first, ok?" Ginny cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine. What's your suspicion?" she asked.

"What?" Harry knitted his brows together in confusion.

"Oh, forget it. I can see that you don't trust me. And THAT, Potter, is why I'm going with someone other than YOU to Hogsmeade."

With that, Ginny flounced out of the common room and went upstairs to the dormitory she shared with Hermione and a few other girls. Inside the room, Ginny sighed as she closed the door, then collapsed in a fit of giggles. Malfoy was right; Harry could be thick, and this little teasing was necessary. But even with all of Harry's secrets, she cared for him. She wouldn't say love. If she really was in love with him, she wouldn't have enjoyed snogging Malfoy so much...her cheeks burned at the memory of how Draco Malfoy had made her moan. And she smiled. Because as out of character for her as it was, she had caused certain desirable reactions in him as well.

She loved feeling wanted. Maybe that came from being in a family where, as the only girl, she was both often overlooked (by the boys) and doted on by her mother; sometimes, they were equally annoying. Ginny sighed, then decided to take a nap before dinner. She snuggled under the red silk sheets she loved so much, and soon, the only sound was her even breathing.

-------------------------

Severus Snape listened to the red-headed girl who sat on his couch, horrified. She was shaking now, not crying, no tears, just shaking. "He wants an heir. Someone purely evil; not someone on the edge of good and evil, like me. He said a few words, and I was in the magic binds again. I forced myself to open my eyes, and there were five Death Eaters left, since Voldemort had revealed himself. The remaining five still wore masks, but they slowly took off their cloaks, and one by one, came toward me, leering. One licked the blood off of my face; I was so terrified, I couldn't breathe!"

"_My servants, I am giving you the chance of a lifetime. I have chosen you for a special task; I am assured that the blood in your veins runs evil, aged by centuries of countless others." Voldemort's voice captured the attention of the remaining men. "Lorelai, open your eyes!" She snapped them open, defiantly. "Good, good," Voldemort nodded his approval. "The fire is still in her eyes. Take her now, while she is at her most spirited; then the child will have her strong will and the determination as well to do what I cannot." _

"_What child?" The man known as Parkinson asked. _

"_The child made from the seed that one of you will undoubtedly plant," Voldemort clarified, annoyed. The girl strained against the ropes, realizing what was about to be done. _

"_You cannot! I will not submit to you!" She screamed. But He just smiled. She looked around, and set her jaw, preparing herself mentally for what was about to commence. She closed her eyes so she couldn't see the men unbuttoning their trousers._

--------------------------

Draco knocked on the door to Professor Snape's office and waited impatiently. After a moment, he drew his wand.

"Alohomora," he whispered. The lock turned and the door swung open to reveal an empty chair and therefore unoccupied desk.

"Dammit!" He muttered. He hastily closed the door and made his way to the only other place that Snape could be; his private living quarters.

----------------------------

"_My most favored servant; you may have the honor of going first. It is my hope and wish that the child be conceived from your seed; for your blood goes back many clans and generations. Approach the girl. Play with her. Do what you like; and enjoy it. I daresay she is a virgin." The Death Eaters laughed raucously at this. _

_The girl realized that it was really happening. She was going to be violated. She wouldn't let them see her hurt, and she was not going to just give in without a fight. She opened her eyes and stared down the first Death Eater, the servant that the Dark Lord loved most. _

_He advanced upon her, trying to make her show fear. She refused. He liked that. He grinned behind his mask. He stroked her face softly, mocking everything that her first experience should have been. Then he forced his mouth on hers, tasting the blood that her earlier beating had rendered. She did not respond. _

"_Kiss me back, bitch, and this won't hurt badly," he whispered cruelly. She hardened her gaze. _

"_Take off your mask, coward, and I won't make your eyeballs explode," she whispered back, just as menacingly. He chuckled. Then he yanked down her pants, tearing her underwear, and exposed her to the entire room. Her jaw clenched; her gaze did not waver. His eyes started to water as he held her stare, then began to burn slowly...he got the distinct feeling that she was looking inside of him. He broke eye contact and the burning stopped. _

_He unzipped his pants, pulled out the necessary organ and thrust it inside of her cruelly. She bit her already bleeding lip in pain as the rest of the men in the room started cheering. She felt a searing burn. He caught her eye again, relishing the pain and fire he saw there. He roughly thrust in and out, in and out, marveling at how well she held his gaze. _

_He felt his release building, and he came coldly, not giving an ounce of his self-control. He pulled out and buttoned up, and removed his mask briefly, taunting her. _

_He felt the strange burning in his eyes; he glanced back at hers, which were murderous. He replaced his mask, and the burning stopped. Satisfied, the Dark Lord waved his hand at the second man, Parkinson, and gave him permission. Soon, the third, fourth, and fifth men had taken their turn, and Voldemort called the meeting to an end. _

"_She's yours for the night, Lucius. Have fun," and with that, the men known as Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, and Zabini followed suit and disapparated after Voldemort. Lucius gazed down at the girl. There was blood streaming down her arms from where the magical bindings had cut her. Still she stared. Quietly. And with no less life behind them as she had at the beginning. Lucius thought that this deserved some sort of positive repercussion, so he released her, and she fell semi-gratefully to the ground. _

_He mouthed an ancient spell to clean her up and soothe the pain. He admired the life he saw in her. "You have great strength, girl," he said. "And though you are as a slave, that renders some respect. I will not take you as savagely as before..." He trailed off as he began his business of taking her softly, almost as a lover would, for the first of three more times that night. She woke up the next morning in the tavern at Diagon Alley in a room, sore, and barely able to walk. She wanted to forget the last night's activities, but she knew that she would always have to remember those grey eyes._

-----------------------

Draco stood at the door to Snape's chambers. He lifted his hand to knock, but he was halted by the sound of another's voice.

"No wonder you looked like you could kill Malfoy that first night in the Great Hall...you recognized his father in his eyes, did you not?" Snape asked.

"I will always remember those eyes, and hate everything that goes with them," Lorelai finished. Draco heard Snape mumble a few words. Then Lorelai's voice rang clear again. "Or at least I'll try. Draco's hard to hate, you know?"

He heard Snape chuckle in a relieved sort of way. "Are you alright, Lorelai?" he asked.

"I will be. I just need your guidance concerning the Order," she replied. She was going to join the Order? Then that would mean that she'd have to take the Dark Mark...Draco wished for the same kind of bravery and raised his fist to knock on the door.

. Snape's eyes widened at Lorelai's request, and they both jumped when they heard a knock on the door. "Do not speak a word of this to anyone!" he hissed. Their foreheads almost touched, and Snape whirled around and reached his door. With the ferocity of an Oklahoma tornado, he threw back the door and instinctively grabbed the shirt of the unwelcome visitor.

"Professor! Calm down!" Draco's voice penetrated Lorelai's fear and she exhaled the breath of air she didn't realize she'd been holding. She uncurled her legs, feeling her knees pop, and stood up.

"Thank you for your help, Professor," Lorelai stated demurely. Without warning, she burst out laughing. Snape still had Draco by the shirtfront and was practically holding him in the air. "What's so funny?" chorused the Potions master and his favored student. The question in unison made Lorelai go into even deeper fits of giggles.

Draco narrowed his eyes and wrenched himself out of Snape's grasp. He stared at the girl who had thrown him up against a wall several hours prior. He squared his shoulders and smoothed back some of his hair that had become misplaced. _Hate all things with grey eyes, will you?_ He challenged_. Maybe I'll give you a reason_. He curled his lips back into a sneer.

"Mr. Malfoy, I apologize for my impromptu accosting. Miss Green and I were just going over some questions on the assignment. You startled us." Snape attempted.

"It's alright, Professor Snape. Perhaps I intervened in something of a more...intimate nature; in which case, I'd totally understand the anger," Draco spouted off, coolly, straightening his collar casually. He watched with pleasure while Lorelai's cheeks flamed.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'd suggest that you keep your opinions to yourself," Snape started, but was cut off by Lorelai.

"No, Professor, maybe I should tell him," She watched Snape's eyes widen with horror and Malfoy's own flooded with interest.

"Lorelai, I don't think..."

"No, it's okay." She turned to Malfoy and made her way to where he was standing. He sized her up, and remembered how soft she had felt in his arms just hours before. Was that only hours ago? He would have guessed that at least a week had gone by.

"How much of that did you hear, Draco?" He smirked.

"So, we're back on first name basis, are we?" He asked.

"Please answer the question." She was calm. He studied her; she didn't look nervous, perhaps she was merely testing him. He respected that. He leaned toward her slowly, feeling Snape's eyes on him, and drew close enough to her ear where his shallow breath made her shiver.

Satisfied with her level of discomfort, he whispered, "Enough to know that you don't hate me," He said. She blinked and a slow smile stretched itself across her face as she steadily nodded.

"Is that all? Well, then, good night, Professor, Draco."

"Wednesday evening, Miss Green. Dumbledore's office. Is that convenient?" Snape asked.

"Yes, thank you, Professor," She smiled. "And thank you for listening. I feel a lot better."

"Have a good evening, then. Mr. Malfoy, if you would take a seat, I'll be with you in a moment." And Snape disappeared into the back area.

"Good night, Draco," Lorelai tried.

"What? Are you and Snape going to meet for sex later?" Draco asked.

"You know, I don't have the energy to fight with you tonight." She said quietly. Again, Draco found himself comparing her quiet expression to that of Ginny Weasley's. The resemblance between the two was uncanny. Lorelai was taller and more curvy than Ginny, but their facial features were so...similar! For a moment, he played with the idea of asking if they were related, but he didn't want to give off the impression that he cared. He shook his head to clear the image.

"Besides, what are YOU here so late for?" She asked pointedly.

"None of your business," Draco huffed.

"Is that letter from your father?" She motioned to the parchment in his hand.

"You don't know a damn thing," He said, trying to keep in control. How could she infuriate him while staying so calm?

"If that's what I think it is, I guess I'll see you on Saturday," she said. What the fuck? "What the fuck do you think you're talking about?" He asked. But she was already gone.

"_No wonder you looked like you could kill Malfoy...you recognized his father in his eyes, did you not_?" Snape's statement haunted him, and Draco was quiet. Snape returned from what was presumably his bedroom. "What is the ruckus all about?" He asked. "And why is the door still open?"

"Lorelai...she left it. Severus," he started, for he could lose all pretenses with his professor. Snape was the father figure that Draco should have had. "She knows something...I don't understand. I think she knows about the ceremony on Saturday," Draco mused.

"Did she say something about it?" Snape asked.

"Yes, she said that she'd probably see me on Saturday," Draco said, questions in his eyes.

"I'd assume by now that you know that her father is, er, a Death Eater, and she has come of age, as have you, and she will be participating in the ceremony on Saturday evening." Snape explained. Draco's eyes widened, and then normalized.

"I suppose that makes sense," he allowed. "Is she really going to join the Order?" Draco asked. Snape's eyes flashed.

"How much of our conversation did you hear, boy?" Draco had never seen his Potions teacher so...urgent.

"Just something about grey eyes, how I'm hard to hate, and I heard her mentioning the order," Draco said. Snape softened. Draco quieted suddenly, and his fingers dropped down to play with the hem of his shirt; one of the many habits his father had tried to break him of. Hours seemed to go by. Then, Draco spoke with a somber tone to his voice; however, there was no mistaking the strength and resolve in it as well.

"Speaking of the Order," Draco began. "I want you to know that I've made my decision concerning my position in the upcoming battle." Snape awaited his response in anticipation.


	9. Chapter 9

Ginny Weasley woke up Monday morning in a sullen mood. It might have had something to do with the fact that she woke up on the floor...but more likely, it was because Hermione had thrown her there.

"Gin, c'mon, you need to get up if you don't want to miss breakfast!"

Ginny growled as she pushed herself off of the floor. Hermione put her hands on her hips, something that Harry and Ron trembled upon seeing.

"Don't you growl at me, Virginia Weasley! Because as angry as you are right now, it is nothing compared to the horror that you will put us through if you don't eat. Now march to the bathroom and make yourself presentable!" Hermione mothered.

"Tick. Tick. Tick," Ginny stomped one foot down with each syllable.

"What on earth are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"That's the sound of your biological clock! Honestly, are you and Ron going to have children soon? Because I don't want to add you to my list of surrogate parents!" Ginny disappeared into the bathroom in just enough time to miss the pillow that Hermione threw, and it just bounced off of the doorframe.

About 30 minutes later, Ginny emerged from the bathroom, the steam billowing out after her. She pulled on her skirt and was just buttoning her shirt when she noticed the sunbeams streaming in through the window. She glided over to it, and watched the rise; the sky had been dark when Hermione had woken her.

e saw the sun every day, it was nothing new, but she never failed to be captivated. Sunrise in Gryffindor Tower was the most spectacular sight! She sighed and took her books from the various places around her bed and went down to the Common Room. Hermione was there, purposely sitting a few feet away from a bewildered Ron, and Harry was watching the whole thing with a quiet amusement.

He had grown up in a lot of ways after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He turned, noticing her appearance in the room, and their eyes locked for a moment; both blushed and violently looked away. She turned her attention back to Hermione and Ron.

"Well, are you going to get up and come with me? Or are you two simply waiting for everyone else to leave the common room for some reason?" Ginny asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. Harry chuckled as Ron's face turned purple and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, let's go, then!" Hermione snapped. Ginny tried unsuccessfully to stifle the giggle rising in her throat. Hermione stalked all the way to the Great Hall.

He had seated himself by the door on purpose to wait for her. It opened, and Draco's head shot up, anticipating seeing her. But seeing that it wasn't the girl he wanted, he looked back down toward his food and scowled. Beside him, Zabini's chuckle was irritating.

"What," he seethed, leaning close to her, "is so funny?"

"Y-you have ketchup on your face," she managed. He scowled.

"I like it there," he mumbled. "Anything else?"

"You've scowled six times since we came to breakfast," Her eyes held amusement. He furrowed his brow.

"So?"

"We just came to breakfast two minutes ago!" she stated.

Draco started to retort something, but his attention was diverted when the doors slammed open and Lorelai stalked in, right past Draco and slid into a seat in an unoccupied area of the Slytherin table. He noted thoughtfully that her complexion seemed a little green...then that laughter caught his ear. Sure enough, Virginia Weasley had just strolled into the hall, followed by her git of a brother and his Mudblood girlfriend, not to mention Scarhead. He lowered his head, but discreetly watched the four out of the corner of his eye. His attentions were on Ginny, of course, and she looked sexy.

Not many girls at this school could look good in a plain school uniform, but she did.

She didn't wear much makeup, unlike eyeliner-queen Lorelai- wait! He was not going to include her in his assessment of the Weaslette. He watched Ginny's face intently, and when she caught his stare, she blushed and he didn't pull back. He just smirked...there was no embarrassment in his face.

There was nothing to be embarrassed about.

He liked to stalk his prey.

Blaise turned her head toward him and watched her friend's features twist as he ran through one thought after another. He was staring at something across the room and she followed his gaze...no, make that someone. He was openly challenging the youngest Weasley with his eyes, and Blaise had the feeling that this was not the first time that he'd, er, taken notice of her. She watched the girl's face flush at having not one, but two Slytherins stare at her, and she looked away, turning to talk with Potter. Blaise smirked on the inside. Malfoy had gone back to eating his food which was still warm.

Draco could feel her stare.

"What, Blaise?" he spat.

"Honestly, Draco, could you be any more obvious?" What's this about you staring at Weasley?" she whispered, not wanting anyone to hear.

"Weasley and I have...an understanding that shall remain between the two of us. What do you care?" he muttered.

"Just looking out for you, Malfoy. You know, the older and wiser bit..." she was cut off by the sound of Lorelai running out of the Great Hall, hand over her mouth, presumably running to the bathroom. "Besides," she continued, "you have a reputation to think about." A lazy grin spread across his face.

"What do you think I'm doing, Zabini?" She shook her head.

"But a Weasley? Malfoy, just last week you swore you'd never touch a muggle-lover."

"Blaise, all of that junk about a Malfoy not sinking to that level is just that: rubbish. Malfoys always get what they want. And if I want her, I'll get her. Her station will only determine how much I damage her in the process." Blaise snorted and gestured to Ginny's backside as she watched the Gryffindor leave the room.

"Well, there's your chance, lover-boy." Malfoy shrugged.

"There will be ample opportunity later," he said casually.

As soon as Ginny stepped into the Great Hall, she felt someone's eyes on her. And being that Harry was in front of her and had just told the joke that made her laugh, it wasn't him. She played with the idea of looking around to see if she could catch the guilty party, but chose instead to sit down and ignore it and hope that it would go away.

"Hey there, Gin! You're looking good this morning!" Seamus Finnegan winked at her. She could practically hear Ron's head whip around! He shot a murderous look at Seamus, who looked rather pleased with himself, and seethed at his sister.

"Ginny, button your top button!" She looked down, and sure enough, it was undone.

"You know what Ron? I know that it's undone," she spoke defiantly, "and I like it that way." Ron huffed and looked as though he had more to say, but Hermione placed a staying hand on his arm.

"Ron, settle down. Besides...even I have to wear my shirt like that sometimes if I want to breathe," she said. He quieted, but he didn't look happy about it.

Dammit! She could still feel someone staring at her. She lifted her chin proudly, and let the weird sensation pull her in the direction of the glare. She looked up, and sure enough, she came across Malfoy's eyes and stayed there. She could feel a blush spread across her cheeks...sure, she was blunt, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be properly embarrassed. She couldn't turn away, though...it was like he was sucking her in, and she felt very dirty. The contact was broken as he turned at something that Zabini said.

A few seconds later, Lorelai ran out of the Great Hall looking sick. Ginny became vaguely aware of the conversation around her, and someone was poking her. She looked at Hermione's finger.

"What?" she asked.

"Lorelai's sick...go check on her, Ginny."

"Why? She's a Slytherin...and she's your friend!" Ginny said, disinterested. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"I have to stay here and keep your brother from killing Seamus. Besides, you should get to know her...she's not like the other Slytherins, and, believe it or not, she doesn't like Harry," she whispered. "Please, Gin. She looked really bad...." Hermione pleaded.

"Fine." Ginny got up and flounced out of the Great Hall.

Grrr. _Someone SO owes me for this_...she thought.

**A/n: ok, this sucks, I know, but this was a freaking hard chapter to get out. The following chapters will begin the quick passing of time.**

**Anaxandra: Lorelai can tell her story and be like stone, for it's because of her circumstances that allow her to turn off her emotions, like so many other post-traumatic victims. Great question! See that button? Please review. Even if it's to say, "I hate it." Thanks. Ps...please go check out my songfic, "My Immortal," and its companion, "My Immortal: The Full Story." **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: When I began this story, there was no OotP, and there was no JK Rowling site stating Ginny's real name. Therefore, it shall remain Virginia.**

"She was retching," Ginny stated calmly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She and Hermione were studying in the library, both bogged down with homework.

"Well, what were her symptoms? Did she.." A loud hush from across the room made Hermione wince and she lowered her voice. "Did she say anything about a possible reason? Was there blood?"

"I don't know; I didn't talk to her."

"What? Gin, why do you think I sent you in there?"

"To make sure she wasn't dying. And as for other symptoms, well, she was crying. And there was the smell of sickness. And there were definitely chunks involved." Hermione wasn't amused.

"Gin, there are times when I wish I didn't see the resemblance between you and your brother. This is one of those times."

"'Mione, really. She sounded awful, she really did, but I thought that she'd be ok. She...well, my intuition said that I shouldn't disturb her." She was rewarded with a look of disbelief. "I promise that I'm not that insensitive." Ginny unconsciously brought the end of her quill to her mouth. "There is an air about her, something that I can't quite make out, like there is destined to be drama wherever she is. Her aura is very tragic."

"If I didn't know that you have Seer blood, Gin, I'd think that you were making this up. It sounds really dodgy. Is there a reason why you couldn't have told me two days ago—Oh! Look at this!" The younger girl peered over the prefect's shoulder.

"A prophecy...What are you reading?" Hermione blushed.

"Well, I'm doing some extra credit for ancient runes..." Ginny snorted.

"Not like you need it."

"And I figured that it can't hurt for me to work on it while waiting to help you with your Herbology courses,"

"Stupid subject."

"And if you're quite finished with the interruptions, I'll conclude." Hermione sniffed. Ginny rolled her eyes and conceded.

"So I picked this book, this 'The Rare Circle of Runes: Prophecies Concerning the Appearance of The Circle Runes before 1856'"

"A.K.A. 'The book with the longest title known to wizard'" Ginny was silenced with a withering stare. "Okay, I'm done, I promise."

"And here I am. Listen to this: '_Following the 2nd millennia, before the Earth turns round the Life Fire the fifth year, the One with the Ayudian Circle shall bear the new fear. The origin shall be assumed, yet misinterpreted. Power will be taken, The Shadow will increase, slow and invisible to all. The Ayudian Spawn will be unmatched in strength. The world will fall into darkness, Wizard and Muggle alike. The Defiant One will challenge the shadow, but victory will not be without sacrifice of the most sacred kind_.'" Hermione practically glowed with excitement. Ginny frowned.

"That's the most long-winded prophecy I've ever heard of."

"It was made by a muggle-born. No one actually heard her speak it; the only reason it's in this book now is because she wrote it in her journal, which was found in a catacomb in Rome. It was extracted in 1953 and dated, uh, in 946 A.D."

"Whoa," Ginny breathed.

"Exactly."

"Well, those runes are definitely not recent. And Professor Vector hasn't deemed it necessary to translate the Rune dialect before 1100. At least, not in my class?" she added hopefully. Hermione frowned and shook her head.

"Not in ours either, I'm afraid. But I've definitely found my research project. Gin, would you mind if I left? I need to consult the Professor while it's still fresh in my mind. You'll be alright, yes?" The redhead turned the page of her text, then rolled her eyes.

"Definitely. Garden Gnomes. As if I need education after having to degnome the garden every bloody time I'm home."

"Brilliant," Hermione said airily. "And Ginny, don't swear," she added half-heartedly. She left the library, obviously in a cloud of her musings. Ginny closed the text in front of her, and, careful not to trigger the alarm, made her way into the Restricted Section, pulling every text with the word, 'Ayudian' on the spine, shrinking it and putting it into her pocket. Once a Weasley's interest had been piqued, there was no stopping an investigation.

* * *

Lorelai sighed for the fifth time in 40 minutes, frustrated with her blonde housemate.

"Draco, if you don't want the draught to explode, you won't add the lacewing."

"What? You could use a little excitement, as could I," he snapped.

"Well, then, blow up your face. I don't care, it would probably be an improvement." The Malfoy heir scoffed.

"I have somewhere to be," she stated, and before Draco knew it, the enigma had vanished out of the portrait hole.

"You had better not be out past curfew! I'm not afraid to take points from my own house!" he called after her, knowing she wouldn't hear, but it made him feel better for having the last word, anyway. _Anything to save face_.

* * *

Hermione rushed to the gargoyle statue and hastily spoke the password, impatiently biting her nails as she waited for the staircase to ascend her to the meeting. She practically threw the door open and squeaked as she saw that the seven other members had already gathered. The embarrassment heated her cheeks.

"I am SO sorry, I was researching, and didn't keep track of the time,"

"No worries, Miss Granger. We are all aware that you are a know it all, and you really aren't late at all," Snape said, both infuriating and relieving her at the same time.

"Oh, I...I must have set my watch fast," She quickly took a seat.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Ron.

Just as the words fell from his mouth, an unexpected Slytherin appeared in the doorway.

"Miss Green, I'm so pleased that you decided to join us." There was no sarcasm in Dumbledore's voice. She nodded and walked over to Snape's side and stood.

"Oi! What is SHE doing in an Order meeting?" fumed Ron.

"Contrary to your belief, Ron, there ARE some people's lives that you don't know EVERYTHING about." Ron looked at his girlfriend.

"You-you're going to take her side?"

" I wasn't aware that sides were chosen among members of the Order, Weasley." Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny gaped at recognizing the drawl. Malfoy was pleased with the effect he had, and gracefully sauntered into the office, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Bloody hell," Hermione whispered. The room was silent.

"Alright, enough with the drama. Severus, I'm sure you have an explanation," Minerva McGonagall was not pleased.

"I believe it may be best if our new members introduced themselves," said Dumbledore.

"They don't need an introduction. Headmaster, it's-it's sodding _Malfoy_"

"Ten points for language, Weasley."

"-and that Green girl, and they're Slytherins! Why are they here?" Ron was standing up by now, shaking with frustration.

"Well, perhaps...Lorelai?" Harry questioned. "Will you explain why you're here?"

"Simple. I'm joining the Order because my father is a horrible person, and I want to help stop him." She only offered a little.

"And you, Malfoy?" Ginny asked, a little too sweetly.

"What she said."

"Severus, have you explained fully to your students the duties and risks of our Order?"

"I have."

"And they fully understand?"

"They do."

"And you have reason to believe that they are trustworthy?" McGonagall's voice hit a new high, and everyone winced.

"That will do, Minerva. Thank you for your ever-growing resilience. I know these two students to be true, though in different ways. You know Draco's father, of course. And Lorelai's father is also very close to the Dark Lord. They will be useful, and if I am correct, dedicated members." Dumbledore interjected.

"But-but Malfoy's a death eater!" Harry stumbled. Malfoy chuckled.

"Malfoy Sr., surely. Myself, no, not yet. But I will be, come Saturday. There is an initiation ceremony, of which Green and myself will be a part. It is a special gathering, for many will be joining Voldemort,"

"Tell us something we don't know, Ferret." Ron snapped.

"Have you heard of the Ayudian Circle? You haven't, have you? Of course that would be in the more expensive texts, so I'm not sure you could have afforded to learn about it, anyhow," Malfoy retorted. He stared coolly as Ron drew his wand.

"Don't. Start. On my family," he seethed. "We may not have money, but at least we're wanted by our parents!"

"Mr. Weasley, perchance it would be wise to separate yourself. Ms. Granger will see you back to your Common Room, and I trust you will be filled in later, most discreetly, of course."

"But, Headmaster, I know..."

"Granger, I doubt that we will ever uncover all of the knowledge you keep in your head. Leave," Snape commented.

"But I-"

"NOW." Hermione harrumphed. When she and Ron disappeared, the meeting was disrupted beyond repair.

"Well, our evening has not been totally wasted. You have met one another, and I have complete faith that you shall overcome your differences. Would anyone like a lemon drop? No? Then you are dismissed."

The four remaining students left. Harry and Ginny all but bolted out the door, then Malfoy, and lastly Lorelai. When Lorelai stepped off of the winding staircase, there was no trace of anyone. She started toward the Slytherin quarters, but dipped into the girls' lavatory to empty the meager contents of her stomach. The 9th time in five days.

* * *

At breakfast on Thursday morning, four students received school owls bearing the same message; that the pairings for Hogsmeade be cancelled. It would not be prudent for anything to happen or for anyone to be seen with someone that was out of the ordinary. Harry and Lorelai, Draco and Ginny stole a glance at each prospective partner.

Dumbledore never missed a trick.

**A/N: This isn't a new story. I deleted a chapter on accident, and the only way I could get it to work was to delete and re-upload the story. Of course, I figured out a better way to do it after the fact. Until next time,**

**xxaugustxx**


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